I know it sometimes depends on the time of year but I would just like to hear about everyone's favorite way of Gill fishing...Here in TN on Certerhill Lake we tightline (with Splitshot) worms and cricketts on the bottom in certain places 20 foot out from shore, or reel slowly back near the bottom. What is everyone elses' favorite and/or most productive method? I know you guys can get pretty inventive ....

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If you see me here it must be 'cause I was wishin' I was fishin'!

I have tried many things over the years including tight lining. I still prefer the old way of just fishing with a fly rod with mono line with a Quill float, (hard to find now) sinker and hook baited with a cricket or worm. The fight that you get with a 9' flyrod on those little jewels is to die for. I love it. I have switched to a stronger #4 short shanked hook as over the years with the long shanked wire hook of #6 or #8 size that I used to use. I have lost alot of catfish as they straighten them out. I boated an 8lb. channel cat this past May at Reelfoot Lake with the flyrod. What a fight, and I was lucky to hook it in open water fishing a saw grass line and could work it until it tired around the boat. I have lost many over the years fishing around the lily pads or cypress trees as they could wrap you up and break off before you could do anything with them. Enough rambling, I can adapt my fishing methods to the situation But, I prefer fishing with that float. I still get a thrill out of watching that float bobble and sink under and setting the hook to see what I have caught. Take a kid fishing and share the joy. Snapper

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Have fun in the woods or on the water but for Gods sake, be careful!

Just what would you give for some of those porcupine quill floats...??? Happen to know where some are.....

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If you see me here it must be 'cause I was wishin' I was fishin'!

Man Deerqueen you are asking a lot. Some of those panfish secrets take years to develop. But just because I like you, I'll give you one. lol

One of my favorites is to use a stick bobber with the thinest middle section and use a small ice jig, 1/64th oz tipped with a wax worm in summer. The jig is not heavy enough to make the bobber stand up so it lays flat on the water. If the tip comes off the water even a quarter inch I set the hook.

It works really well. Remove the spring off the bobber and replace it with a piece of surgical tubbing. Never use line heaverier then 6 lb. Sometimes I even use 1 lb.

See how creative you guys can get.....Just knew I would get a resonse to prove what I already knew...panfishing is NOT just throwing any old bobber at those dumb old things Oh No......you have to use the right setup for the best results...even on panfish. That is brilliant....with the jig and waxworm....and the stick bobber....this is finnese fishing at it's finest!!

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If you see me here it must be 'cause I was wishin' I was fishin'!

I have used slip floats too slipshot and what are wax worms? Just kidding as we have them in some bait shops here. I have never tried them but I know that some Illinois guys do that fish Reelfoot lake. I usually fish with 12 to 17 lb. test as I don't panfish in the few clear lakes that we have here like Center Hill, Tims Ford or Dale Hollow. If I drive that far then I'm looking for Bass. I will fish with 2 lb. line in the Caney Fork river for trout though. The reason that I use 17 lb. line on my flyrod in Reelfoot lake is the fact that it is dark water and while I have fished for cats there with the proper baits, I have caught many more on crickets of all things. Who would have guessed that. I'm sure that the heavier tackle has lost me a few fish over the years but I have a better chance to boat that big cat if it bites. The biggest cat that I have boated there is a 14 1/2 lbs blue., 8 lb. channel, bluegill 1 3/4 lbs, croppie 3 lbs. and Grinnel as they call them there or Bowfin as most know them was 8 lbs. I know the value of finess fishing as I have done it in my tournament days for bass in those crystal clear lakes. And Deerqueen, I would be interested in talking about Quills with ya girl if you have large ones. The small ones are the only thing that I can find now when I can find them that is. Have a good night and good luck fishing. Snapper

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Have fun in the woods or on the water but for Gods sake, be careful!

I happen to know where there are three and they are approx. 9 or 10 inches long and maybe the size of a slim pen..(porcupine quills now..lol). They are cheap. I will get them for you if you want or tell you where they are...they are set up with eyes at the end.

If you think about it...panfish ARE ferocious little things...they have hit crankbaits intended for bass and trout that were 1/2 to 1/3 their own size!!

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If you see me here it must be 'cause I was wishin' I was fishin'!

Good sized quills Deerqueen. what little bait shop did you see them in girl? And you are right about those gills being mean & aggressive. I have gotten several on crankbaits that made me wonder how in the world they could get the hook in there mouth. But I have also gotten a very few catfish on crankbaits too. I remember a bass tournament that I was lucky enough to win several years ago on Lake Barkley and I had the second big bass which was 5 3/4 lbs. I caught that bass and a 6 lb. channel cat on back to back cast with a rattle trap in the same spot. I caught the cat first and really thought I had something until I got it to the boat. When I hung the bass, I though I had another cat and was very surprised. Opps, I'm way off the subject. Let me know where those quills are Deerqueen if you will. Thanks Snapper

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Have fun in the woods or on the water but for Gods sake, be careful!

They are at Poindexter's in Gallatin...Know where it is?? Buddy says he can get more, too.

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If you see me here it must be 'cause I was wishin' I was fishin'!

I know where it is Deerqueen. Thanks Snapper

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Have fun in the woods or on the water but for Gods sake, be careful!