There's always good action with bluegills on the line
The mosquitoes don't seem to be flying their usual formations lately. But the wasps are still managing to buzz our faces if we invade their territory, and a few creepy-crawlers are still meandering their way across the lawn.
One can definitely tell that no matter how hard we hang onto summer, the chill alerts have already gone up.
What all this means for me is fly rod time at Skokie Lagoon in Glencoe as well as Lake Independence in Libertyville.
If you've followed this column through the years you may already know I am a bluegill nut and go after the big ones with ultralight spinning gear and a fly rod.
In my humble opinion, ounce-for-ounce, there is no comparison between a bluegill and other freshwater fish. Well, maybe a smallmouth bass can claim that accolade, but it's the bluegill that has helped change the course of freshwater angling through generations, all because these fish are always eager to provide hot and heavy action.
Skokie Lagoon seems to have an endless supply of scrappy bluegills. And if the meat hogs - the poachers, if you will - give this reclaimed body of water a chance to regenerate itself, the bass and panfish populations will once again surprise many anglers
When visiting the Lagoon and Lake Independence I carry both spinning and fly rigs, along with good supply of wax worms and leeches.
I don't have to tell you exact spots for either lake simply because all you have to do is look for weed lines and partially submerged, downed tree branches. My Lagoon tactics usually involve constant shoreline movement with a constant eye to the surface to see if fish are coming to the top to inhale a new meal of bugs. Even with the slight downward temperature slide, there is still enough bug activity to keep fish interested while putting on the feed bag.
If I spot surface dimpling I'll tie on a tiny yellow popper to the fly leader. If I manage to spot a school of bluegills hanging on a weed edge I'll go to the spinning gear, with a slip float and a leech.
I prefer using a No. 8 bronze hook, or a 1/32 oz. Min-Mite as well.
My spinning rod is a 7-foot Jim Grandt ultralight model, while the fly rod is also in the ultralight category (No. 4 weight). Right now I'm sticking with nothing lighter than four-pound test mono, and here's why. These fish don't appear to be overly spooked in the clear water at the Lagoon. The same holds true for the Libertyville location. But, I will switch to two-pound test if the fish become shy. The four-pound mono is a slight insurance policy. because on more than one occasion I've had largemouth bass come after a hooked bluegill while I was reeling the fish in to shore. The same thing happens from time-to-time when a large bluegill grabs the surface, fly rod popper. Here's where I just use a straight piece of four-pound mono as the final link to the popper and bypass using tapered leaders.
I maintain the better fishing period runs from noon all the way to just before dusk. Water temperatures are fairly stable just after lunch time and the fish seem to be more active.
It's quite common on both lakes to catch dozens of fish with quite a few in the 8-10 inch class. I know one Mount Prospect bluegiller and skeptic will question my measurements, but I'm telling it straight. I've invested a lot of hours searching the better "action spots," and these fish are there for the catching.
Many years ago, angling guru Spence Petros explained to me that small leeches are his No. 1 bluegill bait, especially on Geneva Lake. At that time I was a tad skeptical. Since then I joined the "leech club" and have become a true believer who catches very nice bluegills.
angler@mikejacksonoutdoors.com