STL County park gills

[JUNGLE JIM 1]

Day got off too a rocky start but fortunately got better. Got to the park lake in Fenton and started rigging the rods up and tied on a jig.It was at that moment I realized that I had left my upper false teeth at home that I had just gotten this week. Last trip I was able to bite the line but no way this was happening today. Fortunately found a clippers in the glove box and was back in business.  This lake has an abundance of lily pads so usually can only fish it early in the year before it gets too dense. Went to far corner of the dam and started fishing a 1" tube on a 1/64 dart head with a #10 lil nasty jig hook tipped with a piece of power wiggler that I cut in half. The fish were hungry. I caught five bluegill and a crappie on the first six casts. I didn't move from that spot for over two hours and only switched baits when something buried me in a christmas tree and I lost my jig. Switched to orange/chartreuse trout magnet with half the tail pulled off and kept on catching bluegill, crappie and bass. The bite slowed when the wind picked up. Best action was by just letting the jig and float drift with the wind providing the action. Ended up with two crappie, two bass and 40-50 bluegill that ranged from 5-9.5 inches long. Bass were a little longer. Everything is still swimming in the lake. Not bad for a county park lake that gets fished pretty hard since you can drive up to the lake.               

[Johnsfolly]

JJ1

Great post about a great day of panfishing! Those are great looking bluegill! As you know, I also like fishing those smaller jigs and just like bringing in the fish cast after cast. It's a blast and even if you want to keep a few that's great too! As you mentioned, now is the time to fish those ponds and lakes where the weed growth gets too thick later in the year. You know the fish are still there, but you just can't get a bait out to them or have trouble bringing in those fish through the weeds. Keep on them!

[JUNGLE JIM 1]

I can't get over how the colors on the gills look so different, it reminds me of the copper nose gills that I catch out in California, everyone of them seems to have their own pattern. The wind this day was out of the southeast so I was able to make long casts to reach them. I only keep fish when I'm hungry and don't have any left in the freezer and right now I have some fillets left. Bigger gills are finally coming back in this lake and at least for now they are better off in the lake. I was using a weighted float and 2lb. test and casting past the brush you see in the back ground.

[ness]

That's just good old fashioned no pressure fun!

[Gavin]

Good for you! I know that lake and that is a good spot.

 

 

[JUNGLE JIM 1]

I had the lake to myself other than two guys who fished for about 20-30 minutes and left. It was a chilly, cloudy day which kept most fishermen home which is how I like it.