Welcome to The Bluegill Pond

Crappie, or as my Louisiana friends prefer, sac-a-lait usually are not well suited to ponds. They are prolific spawners, and without a massive food supply and sizeable predator species, they tend to over-populate and stunted growth results.  Ponds that are the...

The receding river water finally allowed a downstream wade to a series of deadfalls. My arrival provoked a Red Wing Blackbird to assault me with a raspy-throated tongue-lashing for the intrusion. This pool is my favorite place to intercept crappies intent upon...

Locally severe storms were forecast for late evening, so I bank-stalked a local pond hoping the unsettled weather would promote a fish feeding frenzy. While assembling a 4-wt rod, I noticed several rises, which were taken as a good omen. The initial cast of a size-10...

Recent rains eliminated a planned river trip and redirected my grandson and me to a favorite pond.  It was a warm afternoon with cloud cover, but the water remained cool. Predictably, the fish were scattered, so we opted for 5-weight rods, floating line, extended...

An unseasonably warm day after a week-long siege of record-breaking temperatures urged me to visit a favorite small pond. I was hopeful of catching a few fish, of course, but frankly, I anticipated nothing more than casting practice because the water was still quite...

Bitter cold and drifting snow have confined me to the tying bench awash in self-pity. My shaking hands are symptomatic either of the cold or withdrawal from fishing as three weeks have passed since my last cast. Oh sure, I could have dressed in my warmest layered...