Many panfish species have excellent vision, with an uncanny ability to see and scrutinize fine details of minuscule prey like this Daphnia, a common zooplankter in the diets of panfish. (Larry Tople illustration)
By Dan Johnson
More than a few anglers and the public in general view catching panfish as child’s play—an easy-to-catch group of gamefish that collectively are the perfect patsies to get folks hooked on fishing before they move on to more challenging quarry. While scads of silver-dollar sunnies swarming around the dock may fit this bill, mature panfish, no matter the species, aren’t easy marks. Especially the supertankers.
Technology can certainly help you zero in on some of the biggest panfish around, such as when hunting down offshore slabs with forward-facing sonar. But not always. Situations abound in which panzers hunt and hunker in sonar-unfriendly environments. And not everyone has the cash or inclination to take tech that far.
Science is another matter. It’s free to anyone willing to study and learn. You needn’t sign up for a fishery biology course to utilize it, either. As part of fulfilling its longstanding promise to provide panfish coverage in every issue, In-Fisherman has for decades served up (and continues to supply) a steady stream of scientific tips and tidbits. Along with In-Fisherman magazine, the platforms by which In-Fisherman publications has delivered panfish information to anglers include In-Fisherman annual guides, radio and television programming, online content, books, and videos. Many of the science secrets revealed can help you find and catch more panfish. Other science-based, conservation-minded content offers insight into panfish management topics such as selective harvest, special regulations, habitat management, and more.
Science can help you better predict where fish will be under certain conditions and during different times of year…
Want the rest of the story? Pick up a copy of In-Fisherman at your local tackle shop, sporting goods store, magazine stand, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, or major book retailer!
More Inside This Issue:
Bass Vision in Depth
A few years ago, In-Fisherman Field Editor Steve Quinn and I enjoyed a great postspawn-smallmouth day on Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota. I was fishing a green pumpkin Kalin's grub; Quinn was fishing a green pumpkin/purple flake Kalin's, a color we had both us
Bobber Wacky Interludes
Snick. Pike. Scissors with fins. Jig lost. Sitting down to tie on another. But first, out goes the bobber wacky. One eye on the knot, the other on a bobbing float. Bob. Bob. New baits go on other rods. More knots. Third knot. Bob. Bob. Gone. In an electric moment, fishing can exchange distraction, maybe even boredom, for fire drills. “Fish!” A deep bend in an 8-foot float rod makes it difficult to lift from a rod holder.
Smile-a-Mile Walleyes
You want your friends to catch fish. But you want to catch more. One of fishing's most rewarding challenges—the fact it is an ever-changing puzzle with daily dynamics and variables to solve—can also become a source of frustration, especially when an angler in the back of your boat is out-catching you 10 to 1 despite using a seemingly identical presentation.
Moving and Grooving for Cats
In many waters, catfish offer the best of both worlds to anglers—high catch rates in addition to large overall size of fish. You might catch more crappies at some times and at some locales, but none of them are above 4 pounds, let alone 50 of them. For year-round catfishing success, the key is using presentations and techniques that are flexible, fast, and effective for situations shallow to deep, from the bank to the offshore expanse. While cutbait and other natural baits are always on the menu for channel cats, dipbaits and punchbaits are a main ingredient to these super systems that keep you moving and grooving and putting more cats in the boat across the seasons.
