Panfish Paradise

By Erik Osberg

There is nothing quite as fun as being on a good bluegill bite. Or finding a school of active crappies.

I didn’t always appreciate panfish. I was a bass angler when I was young. Later in life, I started to focus
on walleye. Nowadays, the more time I spend on the water, the more time I spend targeting these sometimes under appreciated fish.

The panfish season never closes, they are relatively easy to catch and they taste delicious. If fact, many folks prefer panfish to walleye when it comes to having a fish fry. And if you have kids, panfish offer
a great way to introduce the sport of fishing to the next generation.

The really good news is there is no place I’d rather chase these fish than Otter Tail County. Most of the lakes here have perfect panfish habitat, and the fish can grow to trophy sizes if we let them. I’ve seen bluegills as big as 11 inches and a few crappies over 15 inches.

Selective harvesting plays a crucial role in protecting the resources. Some lakes in Otter Tail County have special regulations that are meant to limit the number of larger fish that can be taken out of a lake in order to maintain a healthy fishery.

Regardless of which lake I’m on, I always throw back any bluegills that are 9 inches long or bigger. I like to call this place Panfish Paradise