As many of you know my family and I have been caring for my mother in law who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s & dementia last year. It’s really limited my ability to travel… I’m NOT complaining, just giving background.
Anyway as a result I’ve been doing everything I can to find fishing opportunities close by my home and/or along my normal travel patterns. So what had been a joke meant to elicit a groan from the kids… us driving down the road and me pointing at some retention pond behind a strip mall or some such, saying “I NEED to fish THAT!!” is now a reality.
A couple months ago I got a crown at the dentist, and after they’d prepped me while they were building my crown in their machine I took my stumpy tooth and fished one of those ponds for an hour. I caught a little largemouth and lost what I thought was a little northern pike perhaps?
This pond is right by my kids’ school and 5 min from my house. It’s TINY, but after a few trips I found it had smallish largemouth, a variety of panfish, and TONS of goldfish/koi, some of which are absolutely enormous.
My daughter and I took UL gear and caught some darned nice panfish one evening. She really enjoyed that, and we’re going to bring a stringer next time.
Anyway this morning I had some time after dropping my daughter and before I needed to be to the office so I fished for maybe 30 min. What a multi-species experience; the last one was a real shocker but I think explains what I’d actually lost that first day.
Anyone ever think they could catch a goldfish on a Mepps?? I had assumed we’d need corn or something??
Pond has bigger than this and they’re fiesty. So cool!
I catch one or two of these guys, 12-14”, each time I go. Pretty fun!
I was hootin & hollerin when I saw this guy! So awesome! I haven’t ever fished for walleye but caught em as bycatch rarely. I bet the last time I caught a keeper was in like 8th grade! This tripped me out!
Obviously the goldfish were planted, and bass & panfish I know have sticky eggs that birds transport on their feathers, but is the same true for walleye? I must admit that before catching this walleye I’d seriously contemplated being some northern in to consume some of the goldfish…
One interesting observation was that the Mepps with a willow blade was running a lot deeper than the Colorado-bladed ones I normally fish. I think this really made a significant difference and was responsible for that walleye.
Fun times!!! This has really opened my mind to consider places I’d never have fished before!!