If you have kids, you should do this.

[huffranger]

First find a lake with a large population of panfish. Close to Bismarck you could choose Mcdowell Dam, Owl pond at fish and game or Crown Butte Dam.

Any rod that holds line will work and here is our best set up, all parts of the rig are from wally world.

A one inch chunk of nightcrawler has been all we needed to catch as many fish as we want.

Small cheapo bobber 16" to 24" from the hook and one 3/0 split shot 5" above the hook.



Here are the parts,



Must have tools are a needle nose plyers for releasing fish and a knife for making the night crawlers bite size.

This is the #8 aberdeen panfish hook rigged how we have the best success.


The kids catch fish out on weed lines ( easy to see from the dock or shore ) and also rock points. There is no reason to cast way out, we catch most fish within a rod length of shore.

A bobber trick is to make a loop in the line and clamp the spring loaded hook on the doubled up section of the mainline.

Pinching the barb of the hook and cutting the line leaving the hook in deep hooked fish are also a couple of things we have found that make it easier to release fish.

My kids have caught hundreds of bluegills this summer and if you find some extra time I know your little ones will enjoy the outing.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Awesome! When I was a young lad and we were in MN, all I wanted to do is catch gills and sunnies.

 

[svnmag]

Awesome!! Try a slip bobber next time. Less unbalanced stuff twirling around...

- - - Updated - - -

easier casting!

 

[Vollmer]

Great write up. Get kids catching fish and they'll be hooked.

 

[LBrandt]

Remember to keep and clean and eat a few. Its all part of the enjoyment.

 

[wildeyes]

I love seeing kids catch fish and a dad that takes them there need more of that in this world.

 

[k9guy82]

Nice little article...you should some how get this out and published.

 

[Kickemup]

Good write up I need to get the kids out gill fishing again soon.

 

[NDsniper]

This is a great post. Having 3 kids myself and a few neighbor kids interested. I purchased a few of the 13' collapsible panfish poles from wally world and rigged them this same way. No reels to untangle is more enjoyable for all. Crown Butte has been our favorite

 

[Wild and Free]

 

[DonC]

Awesome! When I was a young lad and we were in MN, all I wanted to do is catch gills and sunnies.

I grew up in MN as well living on a lake. Brother and I would snorkel around the shore and locate blue gills spawning beds in the weeds and rushes and come back and catch all we wanted. #$%^&>