Fishing Articles & Pro Fishing Tips

Over the span of his professional fishing career, Author and Outdoor Educator Joel DeBoer has authored many, many top-notch articles on the "How To's" of becoming a better angler. On this page you will find just a sampling of some of his articles and tips - we hope you enjoy!

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Embrace the Springtime for Serious Panfish Fun!
Fishing Articles & Pro Fishing Tips >>

I still remember catching my first bluegill, a feisty male specimen adorned in robust colors.  It was the arrival of the spawn on Norrie Lake, and my parents and grandparents felt it time for myself and the fish to meet – what fond memories!  Whether you are an adult or child, take note: with the arrival of the springtime season, yellow perch, bluegill, and crappie go on the prowl as biological urges to spawn kick in; this means concentrations of aggressive fish up shallow – the perfect recipe for a fun-filled day on the water! 

Yellow perch are the first to spawn in the panfish family, moving into likely spawning areas shortly after the ice goes out.  The perch spawn occurs with the males arriving first, utilizing brush or vegetation where available for spawning.  Once the females arrive, spawning will typically occur with water temperatures ranging from 44-52 degrees Fahrenheit. 

As spring progresses, crappies also move shallow to spawn.  Anglers take note - crappies will, when necessary, build their nests in water depths greater than any other panfish, meaning depending on prevalent water and weather conditions, concentrations of fish may be deeper than expected.  With crappies, peak spawning activity takes place in water with temperatures ranging from 61 to 68 degrees. 

With water temperatures approaching the upper 60-degree range, bluegills also begin the spawning process in full effect up shallow.  Again, males move in first and begin the process of building beds in groups known as colonies. Identifying likely spawning areas and being aware of water temperatures is the first step in keying in on the action. 

A good surface temperature gauge, whether as part of a Humminbird fish locator or stand alone model, is worth every penny, and critical to early season success.  Begin your search probing vegetation and timber along the shoreline, usually of bays, sloughs, or backwaters.  I prefer to work with a 7’ or 7’ ½” St. Croix ultra-light or light-action spinning rod coupled with an Abu Garcia spinning reel such as the Cardinal series; I spool the reel with two to six pound Sufix line.

Presentations for spring panfish begin simply enough with live bait suspended under a float; thus, anglers need to have an assortment of small hooks, split shot, and bobbers at the ready; whereas smaller minnows are shown preference by yellow perch and crappies, anglers looking to catch bluegill will do better on grubs, worms, or small pieces of nightcrawler.  In addition, jigs ranging from 1/64 to 1/16 ounce, depending on the water and wind conditions, and tipped with a Mister Twister Nymph in black or yellow/brown are dynamite, and allow an angler to search an thoroughly to locate concentrations of fish.

While the term “search lure” is most often used in conjunction with discussing fishing bucktails quickly for muskies, it can and does apply to fishing panfish as well.  A gold-bladed Mepps Aglia Ultra Lite Wooly Worm with a brown or yellow wooly worm tail is a deadly search bait when looking to locate shallow bluegills on unfamiliar water, or, when the fish are not “where they’re supposed to be.”  Conversely, a Mepps size 0 Comet Mino with a gold or silver blade and naturalistic shad mino body is dynamite on both crappies and jumbo perch.

Spring can be one of the most productive times of the year to catch panfish, and therefore we as anglers need to be responsible with our harvest – just because you caught it, doesn’t mean you need to kill it.  I continue to be both saddened and disgusted at some of the pictures I have seen on websites in recent years, heck, recent months!  Respect the resource!  Be mindful of possession and daily bag limits, and don’t take home more than you’re going to be able to responsibly consume.  Let’s all work together to keep the excellent fishing opportunities in Wisconsin top-notch! 

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