Fished Wilgreen lake Friday, August 10.

[Big Jon]

The GF and I decided to check Wilgreen out. It USED to be a great bluegill lake, and we had had tremendous success there in the past. (On one outing way back when, we caught over 30 bluegills that went over 8 inches, not to mention scores of smaller ones.)

We got there and got The Blue Betty in the water at about 5 pm or so. We headed up the lake to the spot where we used to haul in 8 inch + bluegills, and drowned a few worms. We caught a ton of little ones. We must have landed 50 or so. No big bluegills, though. Not a single eating-sized fish!

The shad were everywhere! They were thick in there. I believe that they have ruined the bluegill fishery that was so awesome a decade ago. I'm sure the bass and crappie get big quick, though.

We caught a lot of different species. Bluegill, 1 shellcracker, 1 green sunfish, 1 very small bass, 1 red-eared slider turtle, and I hooked a blue cat that was about 5 pounds that managed to sneak off the hook just as I was about to grab him. Apparently, the management has released a bunch of blue cats to try to combat the shad epidemic.

I talked to a good old guy about the fishing there. He told me that there are a lot of good crappie if you know how to fish for them, and that the guys who fish the tournaments catch lots of bass over 5 pounds. and regularly, I might add.

Overall, it was a nice day on the lake. A good time was had by all (except the dozens of bluegill that the GF gill hooked). It certainly isn't nearly as good of a bluegill lake as it was a decade ago, or I'm losing my touch. Maybe both.

[sglass]

Bluegill are getting smller in there, shad, bass and cats are getting bigger. The blues are already 20lb in there!!! I caught a cat off a crank a couple weeks ago around 5lbs. It is a highly pressured lake but a very good lake certain times of the year. Very large bass but very hard to catch due to all the shad.

Sawn

[Big Jon]

The GF and I decided to head back down there today. We caught 3 catfish, all channel cats. I caught a little one off of some nasty/gnarly dough bait, the GF gill hooked another that was about 10 inches or so, and, finally, I caught a NICE one about 4 pounds on a little bluegill.

There weren't many folks fishing there today. You'd think with great weather like this, there'd be more folks out. I guess not.

Gonna have a catfish dinner tomorrow night! Man, these suckers are OILY! I was astounded at all the oil while I was filleting that cat!