Missouri anglers flock to farm ponds

A board full of bluegill caught from a Cedar County farm.

To avoid the crowds and still have some great fishing over the big Memorial Day Weekend, Paul Hamilton usually hits a local farm pond with one or two of his grandchildren.

"It's a great way to spend time with the kids and we always catch something, from bluegill to channel catfish," he said.

Last year, he took his fly fishing gear along and had a ball.

Photos by Ken White/Special to the Daily Mail Pictured, left to right are Mallory Wiggins, Casey Johnson and Jessica Johnson. Three Nevada children try the fishing under the Caplinger Mills bridge.

"When you hook a 2-pound bass or an 8-inch bluegill, you have a good fight when using a fly rod," he said. "There are a lot of small waters to fish and most of them hold fish.

"Around the first part of June, insects are active nearly all day, so by using a lure that looks like a bug, you can catch fish. To be sure my grandkids catch fish, I bait their hooks with nightcrawlers and they always catch some bluegill. They are happy, no matter how big the fish."

To prove that the fishing in a farm pond can be very good, Harold Martin, of Clinton, fished a Cedar County pond last week and caught four largemouth bass, 14 big bluegill and two channel catfish, all while using an ultra-light rod.

Michael Tolar poses with his first fish, a bluegill he caught from a pond, while using a worm for bait.

He said, " I had a lot of action and it was the best trip of the year, for me."

Many children catch their first fish from a farm pond, usually a sunfish or bluegill.

Fred Clark, of Springfield, who has fished in bass tournaments for several years, said, "My first fish was an 8-inch bluegill from a farm pond. When I hooked it, I thought I had hooked a record fish, it fought so hard.

"Back then, I used worms for bait and never knew what I might catch. I was 9, at the time, but it got me hooked on fishing.''

Back when Robert Dawson, Joplin, was in grade school, he became a fan of fishing in farm ponds for bass and bluegill. On his first cast with a lure, he hooked a 4-pound bass and on the next cast, he hooked a big bluegill.

"It made me a fisherman for life," he said. "Whenever I have a fishless day on the big lake, I go back to a pond, where I think I can always catch something.

"June is a favorite month for fishing ponds. At any time of day, I can usually catch fish that are feeding on insects that are active on top of the water.

"When the grasshoppers are active, I catch some and head for my favorite pond that holds some big bass and bluegill. Two years ago, I caught my largest bass ever from that pond. It weighed 8 pounds.

"I have also caught some big bluegills and even a couple of catfish while using grasshoppers. When the bass aren't hitting, I resort to catching bluegills and rarely fail to bring home enough for a meal."

Jim McCoy, Harrisonville, is a big fan of fishing for bluegill in farm ponds.

He said, "Now that school is out, I will be taking my 10-year-old grandson fishing a lot. I know that you can usually count on catching some bluegill and they aren't picky about what they hit.

"You can usually catch them on anything from worms to jigs and nearly every pond in the state hold bluegill. Besides the fact they put up a good fight, they make up for lack of size by making some fine dining."

There are 10 state-record fish that were caught from farm ponds, including a 3-pound bluegill.

On June 7-8, free fishing days will be held in Missouri. This means anyone in the state may fish without having to buy a permit.

Free fishing days are always a great time to give someone who doesn't fish an opportunity to try the sport and they may get hooked on fishing.