Fishing is a life force

My paternal grandfather was a very wise man.

I was about 4 when he instructed me to observe more, take in everything visually and physically, and digest all that and then some, explaining that when you arrive as an adult you will then have a good idea how to choose your individual paths.

I never truly understood his words. Looking back, I thought he was more of a philosopher than a Prohibition bootlegger.

And so I arrived at this place called adulthood, with its never-ending propaganda coming from all sides. I sensed chaos knocking on the door, so I suggested to a friend we go fishing.

I don't have to go to a health-food store to find any awareness boosters when what I have right in front of me is my true elixir of life.

I jokingly said to custom-rod guru Jim Grandt that because I fished this state from top to bottom and caught a host of big fish, we should heed his advice and indulge ourselves in the never-ending joy of fishing and catching big bluegills.

My own life has been full of great angling, especially my searches for big panfish.

There may be a brigade of anglers reading this who don't give 2-cents for one-pound bluegills because their outings depend on fish of larger sizes to grace the dining-room table.

I am constantly humbled by the major-league tussle a 10-inch bluegill offers me, especially after a great day on the water of Ojaski (Mud) Lake in Chetek, Wisconsin. That is just a single example of the kind of passion that drives me.

This lake is part of a larger chain that has everything on a menu of delights. On this special day, Grandt suggested we motor over to a point jutting out from a land connection.

We drifted over a deep spot while lofting live bait out and away from the boat. And we caught lots of decent-sized bluegills in a couple of hours. I complimented Grandt on the ultralight rods we both used. Even though I have a couple of ultralight rods that came off the rack, I decided to order one of these from Jim because of their extreme sensitivity.

On the subject of catching bluegills, I must mention the Herman Brothers in central Illinois who run a land and home business stretched out over a massive amount of lakes and ponds. Because of constant fish-feeding programs, some of the bluegills caught have ranged up to two pounds.

But the catching is not free. A prospect had to buy property from the Hermans and then pay an additional fee for the right to fish the lakes. I've been there to see the lakes and even fished a couple.

But my "bluegill life-enhancing experiences" come from public ponds and lakes, places where there is no stress-related action on my checkbook.

While smallmouth bass is my No. 1 species to find and catch, bluegills come close. When the smallies decide to take a siesta, there always seems to be a ready supply of panfish, especially broad-backed bluegills eager to fight any battle.

This is the real "juice," the fuel that helps keep my engine going. And when the lakes freeze and the power auger takes over, my tiny ice jigs get a major workout, all to satisfy my appetite for the real battles.

• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM (livestreamed at www.1590WCGO.com) and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.