Personal Best Bluegill

[Eskimo]

Yes, I said Bluegill.
I like these fish. They taste delicious and you can harvest them without the guilt of degrading the fishery or poisoning yourself with mercury.




I was hoping to drag my kayak out of storage this weekend, but the impending rain on Saturday and the high water delayed these plans.

I drove up to the Delaware Water Gap intending to find some slower pools on the Delaware River and fish from the shoreline, but I found there was no slow water anywhere on the river. The water was high and fast and there were no fish to be found. On top of that, it started to rain.

Dejected, I drove over to the Gap's Water Gate picnic area on Old Mine Road between the power lines and Millbrook Village. There is a little pond in the picnic area. I had low expectations because that little pond is hammered non-stop by anglers and picnickers from ice-out to ice-up.

As you would expect from any picnic area of the Delaware Water Gap, the bushes are littered with dozens of Cornona bottles, food wrappers, and juice containers. Even in the rain, there were a bunch of guys fishing the pond with their big foam cups of Canadian Nightcrawlers.

I was surprised to see that there were actually a lot of fish in that pond. Perhaps the pond is stocked? I even saw a half-dozen smaller-sized Largemouth Bass spawning in the shallows.

Knowing these are pressured fish, I tied on a smaller plastic worm, pinched on a split-shot and gave it my best try. The bass seemed interested in the worm, but never hit it. Through the rain dimpled water, I could see them following the lure and closely inspecting it, but better judgement kept them from picking it up.

Before it stopped raining, I caught a variety of fish including Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, and a big Pickerel that cut me off like he had a pair of scissors.

The biggest surprise of the afternoon was an enormous Bluegill. I should have measured it before I released it, but it was at least nine inches in length and had a round hump back.

When the rain stopped and the sky cleared, the fishing stopped dead. All things considered, this wasn't my worst afternoon. I had a good time, even though I didn't catch a single bass. In the end, that's all that really matters.


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