This is the time of the year, when the freshwater fishing in the area lakes and ponds are producing good catches of pan fish. Pan fish are a wonderful species because: they are easy to catch, fun to catch, great to eat and if done right you can catch a mess in a short time and I almost forgot one of the most important things, they go good with cheese grits. This is the kind of fishing that you want to participate in with your kids, because the fish do not pull so hard that the small children struggle with them and pan fish will eat almost anything, including Fish Bites.

If you have a boat, then you might want to fish the freshwater areas that have plenty of docks and brush piles. If you do not have a boat, there are plenty of city or state run ponds throughout most area's, that will provide plenty of good fishing from the bank.

Let's first talk about fishing from a boat. I would start by stopping at your local bait shop and picking up 100 crickets, a couple of boxes of worms and some Fish Bites. After you have launched the boat, head for an area that has a long stretch of docks. I like the docks that have been there a while and have a good amount of growth on the pilings. Fish feed on this growth, so these docks have a ready made food source for the targeted species. When you have found a dock that looks good, ease up to it and gently place your anchor over, trying to be a quite as possible.

The Rig: You can use a few rigs to catch pan fish and here are a few:

The Float Rig:

1. Get yourself an Ugly Stik 4 1/2 foot long ultra light rod and a Shakespeare Intrepid SS 3825 reel, get your kids a Shakespeare Micro Cast combo or a Shakespeare Micro Spin combo.

2. Their outfit will come spooled with line but on yours spool it with PowerPro 10 pound test (2 lb diameter).

3. Slide a cork on the line, then a split shot about two or three inches under the cork, then tie on a Daiichi D-16 Blood Red hook,(about a number 6 in size) to the end of the line.

4. The reason that I put the split shot so close to the cork is, with no weight pulling the bait down, it floats slowly down and this drives the fish crazy.

5. I like my depth to be set just about 4 to 5 inches from the bottom.

6. I also like to use the kind of cork that is made from cork, balsa or foam. This way you can bounce it off of the dock without breaking it like you would with the plastic ones.

7. Throw the rig along side of the pilings as this is where most of the fish will be.

8. When the float goes down or starts to move off, set the hook and wind him to the boat.

This style of fishing can also be done with a long cane pole or telescopic fiberglass pole. If you elect to use the cane pole method, remember that your small children are not as strong as you, so get them a small one that is lighter and easier for them to handle.

The Bottom Rig:

1. Use the same rod and reel as above.

2. Crimp a small split shot weight, about 1/16 to 1/8 ounce on the line, then tie on the same hook as above about 8 to 12 inches from the split shot.

3. Toss this rig in the same place as above or slightly under the dock or along side the brush pile.

4. Tighten up on the line, because when they hit the bait, they slam it pretty good and you want to be ready.

Fishing from the bank:

When fishing from the bank the two most important things to remember are:

1. Be quite, walk softly, no jumping around or running. When you walk heavy, the fish can hear you and will swim away.

2. Do not cast your shadow over the area that you wish to fish. They can see it and will also swim away.

The rigs and the bait can be the same as above. Now we are trying to toss our bait under an over hanging branch or next to some sort of structure in the water. If you have timed your trip just right, you should be able to see white spots close to the shoreline on the bottom (like a cleaned out area of the bottom). These are beds and if the fish are still on them you should be able to catch all that you want in a short time.

When I fish the area ponds, I like to go the day before and do two things.

1. Scout out the area to see if there are any active beds.

2. Take a couple of fish cakes and throw in the water in an area that I want to fish. This is a fish food and if the cakes are thick enough, there should be some fish still hanging around the area, the next day.

The Bait:

Like I said earlier, pan fish will eat almost anything so you can use, bread, crickets, earthworms, an assortment of insects that you can usually catch along the shoreline, shrimp, grass shrimp or Fish Bites.

The Times To Go:

Fish are just like you and I, when we get up in the morning we like something to eat and we like to eat again around dark. Based on this, I like to be there when the sun is coming up or late in the afternoon, right up to dark.

Remember This:

If you follow these simple steps, both you and your kids should have a great time catching Pan Fish.

If you follow these simple steps, both you and your kids should have a great time catching Pan Fish.

Here is one other thing to remember. The reason that you are there is for your kids, not for you. Do what ever it takes for them to catch fish, even if it is little ones. If you need to, bait the hook, make the cast, hook the fish and then let them reel it in. Be patient with them and when they are ready to leave, take them home.

If you follow these simple steps, both you and your kids should have a great time catching Pan Fish.