Whoever said thatpanfishing was for kids? That might be true if you include every "kid" up to the age of 90. Regardless of what species of panfish you choose to fish for - bluegill, pumpkinseed, perch, rock bass, crappie or bullhead – few brands of angling yield the enjoyment and steady action these little gamesters offer. And summer is a great time to fish for them since fishing for the more traditional gamefish species like trout, walleye and bass is often slow now.

There's hardly a water in our area that doesn't offer at least one species of panfish. Pumpkinseed and bullhead are the most common, but yellow perch and bluegill are also present in several waters, as are rock bass, particularly in our rivers. Although they're not considered panfish, I'd be tempted to add pickerel to this list since they are also very common in many waters and can provide good action during the summer months.