Southern Ontario is a favorite vacation spot not only by visitors but also by avid fishermen.  Here, you will find great bodies of water that is home to a myriad species of fish, some of them favorite gamefishes of these fishermen.  You have Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe where you can catch your favorite kind of fish.  Georgian Bay and Lake Erie are also on the top of the list when it comes to fishing expeditions as well as the Scugog and St. Clair Lakes, also abundant in marine animals.

But these great lakes are not the only favorite spots for most fishermen as Southern Ontario is also teeming with smaller river streams as well as little lakes that are also abundant of their favorite gamefish such as the trout and salmons as well as carp and panfish.

Panfish - A Favorite Gamefish

Panfish are named as such due to its size and the way you cook them.  They are so abundant in Southern Ontario that fishing for panfish is a great way to introduce young children to the beauty of fishing.  Most children do not care about the size of their catch, but it is the number of their catch that makes them more excited.  Since panfish are plentiful in Southern Ontario, they can catch all the panfish they want.  Bluegill, a member of the sunfish family, and fallfish are some examples of panfish.

Tips in Catching Panfish

1. Since there are so many panfish in Southern Ontario anyway, the question now is - what is the best time of the year to catch them?  It is best to catch them between the months of May and September.

2. It is best to fish for them near docks and the shoreline where fallen trees and overhanging branches can be found.

3. Do not use large hooks for catching panfish.  Instead, use small hooks to assure yourself that the panfish will be hooked once it takes the bait into its mouth.

4. It is also best that you use a light sinker when you are fishing for panfish.

5. You should also have a bucket on hand filled with water so that you can keep the panfish there before you let them go once more into the water.  It is also important that you change the water often so that it will always be fresh and oxygenated to keep them alive.

Keeping kids interested in any sport can be a challenging prospect at the best of times. Choosing the proper fish when introducing children to angling is just as important. If they don’t have something on the end of their line then they are not interested. Don’t take your kids out after a trophy musky when introducing them to the sport of angling. Take them out to a lake, river or pond where they can haul in pan fish all day long. This is exciting for them and rewarding for you as well knowing that you’ve just groomed another Ontario angler.