Bluegill

The youngest likes to go fishing and since we live so close to Central Park, that's a common destination for an hour or two of catch and release fun. This is one of his catches - a bluegill.

Bluegills nest quite close to the edge - they can be seen easily from shore. They also feed on just about any food like worms or bread. We haven't had any luck with artificial lures, but a bluegill will grab a worm in under 30 seconds.

Which is perfect for a soon-to-be 7 year-old!

Bluegills in Central Park

The bluegills are nesting in Iroquois Lake in Central Park. My son and I went up to soak up a bit of sun and enjoy the aquatic life. The fish carefully fan all the silt off the bottom to prepare for their egg laying. They are very protective of these nests, and aggressively chase off intruders.

Also in (and on) the lake were smallmouth bass, a variety of frogs, Canada geese and mallard ducks.

Several people were trying their luck at fishing, but they didn't seem to be having much in the way of luck. Well, that's lucky for the fish anyway!

This was taken at the fishing deck west of the Casino.