Fall Redear sunfish

[JUNGLE JIM 1]

Since last April I've been having a blast fishing for Redear and other sunfish using small jigs and ultra ultralight tackle. My 7 foot Shimano Soare weighs 2.4 oz matched with a Stella C2000S reel and 2lb test. This year I've caught almost 50 master angler Redear from 10-13 inches as well as bass, bluegill, channel cats and several large crappie using this tackle. It slowed down during the summer but starting to catch them again this fall. Picture is of the first Redear of the fall, right at 11 inches. Really looking forward to the cooler weather, weeds are making it harder on me.

[timinmo]

Looks like fun Jim.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Those style blocks take me back to my old fishing area.  They have really cleaned the water up, and the fish seem to be of better quality.  I am really going to have to just go.  Been at least 20 years. 

[Smalliebigs]

On 10/7/2018 at 1:35 PM, JUNGLE JIM 1 said:

Since last April I've been having a blast fishing for Redear and other sunfish using small jigs and ultra ultralight tackle. My 7 foot Shimano Soare weighs 2.4 oz matched with a Stella C2000S reel and 2lb test. This year I've caught almost 50 master angler Redear from 10-13 inches as well as bass, bluegill, channel cats and several large crappie using this tackle. It slowed down during the summer but starting to catch them again this fall. Picture is of the first Redear of the fall, right at 11 inches. Really looking forward to the cooler weather, weeds are making it harder on me.

Very nice Jim. What you guys have to realize is Jim is sooo far ahead of most anglers where he fishes with his jigs he ties to his tackle. It is EXTREMELY impressive to me to see the fish he catches because I know where he goes and nobody is doing what he’s doing. We belong to a group of goofy anglers who fish UrbanWeirdWaters and the fishing is not easy.... not many catch or even think fish are where we fish. Jim excels in the UWW and it’s nice to see the fruits of his labor.

[tjm]

Beautiful trophy size fish. 

[JUNGLE JIM 1]

Water has cleared up and you can see the bottom in water over 3 foot deep making it hard to fish right now. I've been fishing this lake for over 50 years and the panfish keep getting bigger. I caught my first ever bluegill that hit the 10 inch mark a couple weeks ago. I saw it cruising a couple feet down and watched it eat my jig, thought it was a redear but no red on the gill flap. Seems like these fish grow about an inch per year so hope to get a 14 incher next year. A fish this size might break 2 lbs. I release them all but I really hate the spawn when they move into the shallows and the meat hunters fill their cooler. They are extremely vulnerable then.

[Ham]

Panfish NEED to be harvested, but people could be selective about their harvesting and not keep the biggest ones they catch. I won’t keep a Crappie over 14 inches and prefer to not keep them > 13 inches. 

I love catching Big Panfish. Great job!

 

[JUNGLE JIM 1]

Harvesting panfish is fine on larger lakes but taking buckets full of them from a 2 acre lake during the spawn when they are so vulnerable isn't good for the fishery. I try to educate and release as many as I can before the spawn. 

[timinmo]

Good for you Jim.  Glad you are after them and catching.  Oh for anyone needing some Jim ties about the best jigs around.

[tjm]

It's not even fishing to take fish that are nesting, they will pick any thing that falls in the nest. I don't think it's possible to educate that out of them.