Let’s go fishin’:Kids, bluegill and summer

There are a few things that go hand-in-hand — like summer and fishing.
From my childhood, I can remember warm summer days fishing in a lake and catching bluegill. Most of my memories are from Loch Lomond, Pinto Lake and Clear Lake.
And kids continue to create their own memories with bait and poles this summer.
Westlake pond has been producing easy catches of bluegill for kids. Most anglers are working the west edge of the lake and working their way around to the playground side and finding bluegill alongside the reeds.
Red worms are great bait for bluegill — use a small piece of worm under a bobber. A No. 12 bait-holder hook with the worm suspended 1 foot below the bobber is all that it takes. Bobber fishing is fun and easy. The bobber weight helps your cast, and kids love the visual aspect of bobber fishing. There is nothing as exciting as seeing the “bobber down” while fishing!
At Loch Lomond, chief ranger Scot Lang reported: “We treated the algae bloom June 26. The lake clarity was at 8 feet and (temperature was) 71 degrees, and the clarity should improve in the days to follow.”
Lang also mentioned that the lake temperature is perfect to bring the larger bluegill inshore to spawn.
Anglers have been reporting small bluegill along the bank. Anglers here could try fishing worms with no bobber on the line, as the lake is deeper and the larger spawning bluegill will be in 10 to 12 feet of water.
And remember, where there are bluegill there will be bass. Angler pressure is down at Loch Lomond this season, which leaves a nice, quiet lake for the rest of us.
In the saltwater, things are steady with halibut and rockfish and chances at albacore. Large tides and south swells haven’t slowed down the halibut bite, and boats are reporting one to three fish per day. Rockfish have started to fill the scoreboards, and limits are the rule.
Ken Stagnaro reported from his boat, Velocity: “We are catching limits of rockfish on most trips, with a nice variety.”
Ken is fishing from Lighthouse Point to Davenport, and some days making the journey to New Year’s Island. Most of the rockfish caught are in 60 to 120 feet of water. Limits include blue, black, gopher, olive and vermilion rockfish. The nice variety makes for a colorful bag of fish.
I hope you can get out for some summer fishing.
Mike Baxter has fished in the Monterey Bay Area since he was a boy and has been a licensed charter boat captain for more than 15 years. Contact him at [email protected]. He also hosts a fishing show on radio station KSCO (1080) from 7:06 to 8 p.m. Thursdays April through September.