Good trip last night

After a productive day yesterday of working both in the shop and around the homestead here on various projects, I grabbed my gear and headed to the pond to unwind. Air temp at 80, water temp at 75 under a blue sky with a few fair weather clouds. Pushed off and had lines in the water at 4:22 and started off the trip with a double on perch at 4:23! I'd brought a cooler and the bigger of the 2 went on ice while the other got tossed back.



Average 'gill and a small bass followed before too long but I was looking for some larger bluegills to put on ice. One motorboat puttering around but not pulling a skier. In general, it was a bit slower of a pace than my trip here earlier in the week but it would pick up after 6pm. Lots of average size 'gills and some 8" fish went on ice in case the bigger ones were a no show tonight. Crappie were scarce but I did manage to find 5 this trip, kept 4. The first was a skinny 8" with hardly any meat on him; he got the pass.









After 6, as the sun sank lower in the sky, the bite picked up and the bluegill really caught fire. I'd kept enough average ones to where most were returned once again. They'd keep me busy until I called it a night at 7:15 and pulled in the lines. Many 8 to 8 1/2" could have been kept but I used some restraint and kept only 12 fish total. Not many 9" 'gills tonight but a few. This one flopped just as I snapped the picture.



45 fish was the final count with most of them coming after 6pm. 5 crappie, 4 perch, 1 bass and the rest were 'gills. I had a blast with them!