Gills and other panfish advice

[Stoggie2]

Hey everyone. I'm taking my fiancee' fishing next weekend on McLaren lake near Hesperia. Not a big place, so I don' know if anyone's been there recently. I'd like her to have a good time so I'm looking for advice on where the gills and other pan fish might be this time of year? I figure she doesn't need to land a big bass or a nice walleye, as long as she's catching something she'll enjoy it. Plus, it'd be an added bonus if we could have a nice fish fry Sunday night. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[ridgewalker]

Look for drop offs not far from weed beds or other structures. I use various types of natural bait with several presentations: worms, nightcrawlers, minnows (smaller ones), crickets. Any thing from a crappie rig to a slinding bobber rig will work. Use light line and short flexible rods if you are in a boat. Small jigs in a horizontal position with enough bait for scent also work. The best advice is check with a local bait shop. If all he does is try to sell you expensive stuff, check elsewhere. I have been panfishing for years and have it enjoyed it everytime. If you can get no info locally, experiment you will find something that works if they are going to bite at all. Most of the time they will bite if you can get the presentation into their zone. Sometimes they will be near bottom and sometimes they will be farther up. With two of you fishing experiment, one being lower, and one higher until you find them, then keep the bait there. Most of all have fun.