Bluegill makes a good catch for the novice fisher

Kyrie Tolar, 5, with her first fish, a bluegill from a pond. (Photos by Ken White/ Special to the Daily Mail)

Now that summer has officially arrived, it's time to hit ponds, lakes and streams to catch bluegills. The peaking time is now. In late June and early July, concentrations of bluegill will be spawning along shallow lake shores. Look for craters of round, light spots on the bottom, which are the nest sites.

Bluegills have small mouths, so you need to use small baits to catch them. Bluegill and sunfish relatives are excellent table fare, arguably better flavored than walleye; they may be filleted or scaled and dressed (entrails and head removed) then rolled in your choice of seasoned flour and fried.

Bluegills and kids go together. Usually the first fish many youngsters catch are bluegills or sunfish, and now is great time to find then in ponds, lakes or streams. Many of today's bass tournament anglers love of fishing began by catching bluegills from a lake or pond.

Jim Wilson, a Kansas City bass tournament angler, said, "My first fish was a big bluegill from a farm pond, and when I caught that little fighter, I was hooked on bluegill fishing.

"Here in Missouri, these small fighters can be found in nearly every stream, lake or pond. They hit and fight hard on ultra-light gear. When they hit, it feels like you are battling a big bass. They aren't picky, anyone can catch them. It's an excellent way to make anglers out of young sons or daughters."

Cast a cricket over a suspected bed and let it drift along. If the fish are there, you will soon know it. For some fantastic fishing, arm yourself with worms or crickets, a light rod and float the bait along the bank using a bobber. When the fish are hitting, your bobber will disappear and the fight will be on.

Many anglers have found how much fun it is to catch bluegills by using a fly rod. When fly fishing is mentioned, the image created in the mind's eye is of a fast moving stream and trout. For a variety of reasons that is not always accurate.

Fortunately, today's flyrodders are as versatile as their plug-slinging counterparts, and many are learning the joy of practicing their art on bluegill which occupy our nearly endless supply of farm ponds.

Small ponds like this one have good populations of bluegill.

Mike Rice, Carrollton, once told me that by using a popping bug he has caught plenty of bluegill in any of the small ponds within walking distance of his home.

He said, "I would just as soon catch bluegill on my flyrod than any trout. It doesn't matter what time of day you get to fish, the bluegill will hit and a big plus for me is the fact there won't be a lot of other anglers to complete with. "

Some hardy bluegill fishermen can be found fishing for these small fighters during the heat of the day, while most anglers are looking for shade can be productive. It stands to reason that when the insects are busy around a pond, the bluegill will be waiting for them to hit the water.

I know that on my pond when a grasshopper or other insect hits the water a bluegill was there to suck them in.

Missouri is home to more than 200 species of fish, which is more than most other states. Few of the 200 plus species have the range of the bluegill.

This one pound bluegill is one for the wall. It was caught in a pond after hitting a small piece of a nightcrawler.

With thousands of ponds, large impoundments and streams to fish plus a season that never closes, Missouri pan fishermen are ready for a summer of good fishing and eating. There are plenty of reasons to fish for bluegill. They are easy to find and you can use a wide variety of bait to catch them ---- from worms to jigs, nearly all of our area lakes, ponds and streams contain sizable bluegill populations and the make for some fine dining.

What more can you ask from a fish?