Mike Roux Outdoors: Summer panfish fishing requires aggressive tactics

The panfish tactics required in warm weather are somewhat different that those of the spring. A more aggressive approach may be needed. Larger baits are also a very good bet.The natural prey of the fish we are after has had time to grow, therefore a natural presentation should look a bit larger.

Let's first look at the baits that we might use to fool summer panfish. Crappie and bluegill are hungry from the moment they hatch. Making a living during the winter and spring can be tough for a fish.

Luckily, the cold water slows their metabolism markedly. This allows them to survive on the limited diet they experience that time of year. However, as the days lengthen and the temperatures rise, warming water brings on a voracious appetite.

Natural bait offerings work very well in the summer and are usually available. Crickets and night-crawlers are your best bet. They are commercially available everywhere and will attract all species of panfish. This presentation should be done with the use of a bobber and the bait should be fished as close to cover as possible. Fish are relating to cover for protection, shade and as ambush points.

Time of day matters in catching warm weather panfish, but not as much as for bass. You can usually get slab-side crappie and hand-size bluegill to hit all day and all night. That being said, the first 90 minutes of daylight and the twilight hour will generally produce better.

If you find yourself in need of a mess of panfish this summer and find no commercial live bait available, be a bit creative. Grasshoppers are always abundant and work just as well as crickets. In fact, grasshoppers are much tougher than crickets and may stay on the hook for several fish.

Grubs are also readily available. Check under rocks and logs, watching out for snakes in these same places. In the grub family my absolute favorite is the Catalpa worm. These bright green larvae are about the size of your thumb. When I was a teenager I caught three catalpa worms and brought home over 30 bluegill and goggle-eye.

If you are fishing a stream or a river there are some aquatic baits that panfish cannot resist. Hellgrammites live under rocks in shallow, fast-moving water. While you are on the hunt for these leggy critters you will certainly run across a fair amount of crawdads, as well. The smaller ones are panfish killers.If live bait is not in your power alley, do not give up on catching summer panfish. There are some deadly artificial lures that can help fill your skillet.

My all-time favorite is any variation of the classic "Rooster Tail". I like a silver body with a white tail. If the water is stained I will switch to a black body, perhaps with a marabou tail.Topwater lures are also very effective for hungry and aggressive bluegill. Using a fly rod with a popping-bug is a huge blast. Fly fishing is a great diversion from the routine of cast-and-retrieve.

Larger topwater lures from companies like "Rebel" and "Poes" are also good bets. Small "Hula Poppers" will put big bluegill on your stringer, too.The bottom line to this panfish lesson is that right now is the prime time to load up your freezer with a ton of fillets for the long, cold months of winter. Go get 'em!