Monroe County Bog

It has been 4 weeks since Mike and I have spent time on the water in search of aquatic life. Both needing a fix and wanting a fish fry, Saturday was going to be spent fishing come heck or high water, well, high water it was. The river has been on the rise and the water a tertiary color. Conditions didn’t look favorable so we decided to hit one of the Monroe county bogs that I have been trying to coax a couple friends to fish, hoping we would find better water conditions, and we did.

I have been spending more time playing and learning these waters, especially one particular lake after being introduced to it by my neighbor which has proven to be a big blue gill factory. It was cool to see Mike’s eyes light up once we rounded the bend and his vision took in what we were about to go play on, it reminded me of my first trip to this area back off the beaten path.

Another draw to some of these smaller body’s of water is gas motors are prohibited. With the tank removed from the boat and the 25hp tipped up, the electric motor slipped us along not disturbing any of God’s creatures in our surrounding. Noticing the water temp was 65 degrees we started looking for the signs of dinner plate impressions in sand thinking spawning gills could be spotted. With only the sound of rippling waters against the boat while being pushed along and the call of a couple loons, the body steps into a whole new world and takes on another meaning of relaxation.

Watching the sand edges without any of the signs being looked for we noticed the locator tattling on fish in 9-12fow suspend 4 feet down. The anchors were slipped over the side of the small water craft to investigate what it might be swimming below. In short order a young year class of fish was found, not really what was sought after. The boat holding weights were then lifted and the hunt continued.

After bumping around and setting up in a stump field holding 4fow, the first cast made our bobbers never settled before heading straight down. Bingo, we found Gills in the 7-8 year class sporting the deep colors of spawning males hitting the bump board at 8-9inches. Mike also struck luck with one jet black crappie at 12.5inches, the only big paper mouth of the day. Lesson learned, on this particular body of water, these lepomis macrochirus were getting ready to spawn in deeper water than what I normally find them in. There were also spawn sites on the top of submerged hollowed stumps.

After pitching a verity of baits pierced onto a Froggie Diamond Jig it was apparent that the 1” Gulp Alive minnow was the answer for staying on a very aggressive bite. Fishing in the wood claimed some tackle but with this being were the orange belly’s were hanging we had no problem donating a few jigs while pulling wide backed fillets into the boat. Most of the quarry was bull males which made it to the cooler of ice along with a few fat bellied females to be slipped back into the water. In short order 35 supreme specimens were aboard making for a couple fish fry’s, along with two happy campers grinning ear to ear in this pristine setting.

I feel fortunate to live in an area of both worlds. A short trip to the river or a short trip to smaller lakes sometimes makes it hard to decide which way to head. Mike and I both agreed we headed the right direction on this day! It is always fun to introduce someone to a new body of water, epically when the “somebody” has been a life long friend. It was a hoot buddy Mike.

Good luck fishing people