Bluegill/panfish

[higgsrv]

Any Spokane area lakes producing decent bluegill/panfish fishing??

[Anglinarcher]

Decent is a relative term. Can you provide specs?

Is size the determining factor, and if so how big do you need? Is numbers the determining factor, and again, how many and how fast?

You do not define panfish. Is perch in that definition?

I would love to help, but ........ need a little more information.

[ridgeratt]

Also what do you consider the "Spokane" area. How far will you drive?

[higgsrv]

Like to fish within 40-50 mile range of north Spokane. Not looking for lunkers, looking for a fish fry. A number of years ago in the summer got a good bluegill bite at Newman. As I remember they were on beds in 3-4 feet of water up the north end of the lake. 2 adults 2 kids caught 50-60 in a couple hours. Filleted them with an electric knife. Only get a piece off each side about the size of a silver dollar. Fried up with hush puppies, delicious. So bluegill, perch, small bass, crappie all delicious prepared that way. Do you know if this is time of year bluegill bed up? The kids had a ball hauling in one bluegill after another.

[Anglinarcher]

OK, I also should have asked about a boat, but I will assume you have some floatation ability if you fished Newman before.

Let's start with the spawn for Bluegills. They are one of the few fish species in our area that can spawn more then once a year. Their first and primary spawn occurs when the water temperatures reach a stable 60 degrees F and around the first full moon after that. In our area, depending on the body of water, that may be late May to Late June. They then have another spawn, although lesser, each time the next full moon comes around as long as the water is over 60 degrees.

So, the next phase should be about the two week period centered on Aug. 10th, give or take. How big will it be? I don't know.

Next, Newman still has a bunch of gills in it, but this time of year they are going to be tight into the weeds. It sounds like the same size you caught before, but due to the time of year, it will not be that fast of fishing. I would look for the pads and drop a worm (or maggots or crickets or ...) below a small float next to them in the openings. Expect a few perch and bass during the same fishing.

Clear Lake is a good choice, and again, look to the weeds.

Silver Lake can be good this time of year, fished over the weeds. I know a guy that was doing well with his kids from the fishing dock a couple of weeks ago; the fish were about 5-1/2".

Crappie are done spawning a long time ago, and they are now in open water, deep under shaded docks, or in deep cover like sunken trees. Frankly, it is an experts game for them right now.

Elokia and Downs Lake are two examples of lakes that should soon be fishing well for Perch. Fish the edge of the deep weeds in 8 to 10 feet of water. The fish are bigger at Downs and probably more plentiful if they are on the bite right now, but both will fish well. Elokia and Downs both have boats to rent, small private launches, and you can call them to get reports on the perch. At Eloakis it is called Jerry's Landing. Both can be found by doing an internet search.

These would be my suggestions for 40 t0 50 miles from Spokane, but I am sure that there are a lot of other places that I have not even considered. Perhaps Fan, perhaps Horseshoe, perhaps .........

[ridgeratt]

Not sure if this helps but it suggests all the lakes you have an interest in;

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/Species/1849/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If it were me the choices would be Diamond/Davis/Waitts or finding a weed wedge on roosevelt and throwing a chunk of worm on a float next to it, But then thats a roll of the dice since your never sure what else lurks there!!!

[higgsrv]

thanks anglinarcher and ridgeratt. good suggestions and info. looking forward to a good fish fry soon.