
Recently I was faced with a delightful problem. Nancy and I wanted to have a fish fry for my dad and stepmom before she had her scheduled hip replacement.
Dad’s favorite fish to eat is bluegill but I have not kept a bluegill in years. The solution to this dilemma was easy for me.
I just happen to be friends with a young man from Tremont, Ill., who is, in my opinion, “THE KING OF PANFISH” in the Prairie State. His name is Reagan Smith and he owns and operates Reag’s Guide Servcie.
Crappie are Reagan’s favorite panfish to catch but bluegill and white bass fall right into his wheelhouse, as well. I called him and explained what I needed and within minutes we had a blugill trip set up.
Much of the same gear and tactics required to find and catch crappie also apply to putting bluegill in the fryer. We met early one morning last week and dad’s fish fry got a lot easier.