The first day of July started off with me meeting my good friend Dave at the lower landing by the Dresbach dam at 5:00am. The plan was to look for gills hanging around a couple favorite wing dams. After finding only one keeper and some smaller fish, we made a run for the Black River. It was a good move.
Our starting point was to be on a hump that I was catching a few eyes on weeks ago pulling a crawler harness. With a lot of stolen crawlers and a couple bull gills at that time, we wanted to see if they were still hanging out. We didn’t find any 9 inchers but we did get into some hand sized gills. The majority were running 7-7.5 inches with some nice 8 inch fish coming to the boat now and then. The fish were for the most part on top of the hump in 4.5 – 5fow. The key was a slow drift, jig, and piece of crawler.
I put in on the Black River the 2nd at 5:30am to try and weed a few more fish out for a fish fry using the same technique as we were using the day before. 1/32oz orange jig, piece of crawler, different hump, and I found gills slamming on a slow drag again. There was no messing around when they wanted the bait.
I caught 30 some gills between 5:30 and 9:30. Any body can do it. Find a hump that comes up from 15fow to 5fow. Fish the tops until the boat traffic picks up. If your not hit within 15-20 move to another.
I have had a great start to another month. Now if I could just find another decent Flathead, things will be good!
Good luck on the water and have a save 4th people!
Bret
The colors in some of the fish looked like it could have glowed in the dark!
Bright orange
When we live on the same route to and from LaCrosse, Plus fish the same waters
…..alot 
The gills are definitely sporting some awesome colors right now. I swear, Bret can find fish in a mudpuddle
His areas are so inconspicuous that most blow right by them, I know I have hundreds of times 
Nice fish and report Bret 
Glad to see someone else is enjoying gills besides me. On light action rods and tackle they are a blast. Kids love them and the ”kid in us” does too.
Thanks, Bill
Nice report Bret, maybe I will catch you tomorrow sometime
Very nice gills..
Nice job and nice report. I know on Friday we picked up a couple of big gills on rock. I know the marina area in Pepin and some of the rock around lower pool 4 was producing. I was just using a #2 Fireball Jig, tipped with a leech under a Rocket Bobber. We mainly were fishing steep drops and probably 3-4′ down.
nice fish
Bret, nice fish. I have fished some of those humps, can be real fun. Also, I have met your buddy Dave, he gave me a few jigs he made for eye fishing.
Beauty fish and report Bret!
I missed the Big Pannie bite up on our lake this year. 
Your report just reminded me again 
I just was able to forget too.