Yahara River in Madison, WI

One of my favorite fishing spots in Madison is the Yahara River, especially the stretch on the isthmus connecting Lake Mendota to Lake Monona. I caught a lot of species for the first time while fishing there, as well as some nice specimens of species I'd previously caught. This river is where I began hunting for new species.  I remember every time I'd go fishing there, I'd keep track of how many species I could catch during the trip, and I was always shooting for a PR (which got up to around 9 or 10).  Here are a few of my favorite photos.

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)


Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)


Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)


Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)


Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)


White Bass (Morone chrysops)


Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)


Walleye (Sander vitreus)


Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris)


Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)

Subdivision ponds in Champaign, IL

After high school I didn't fish for about three years. During college essentially all I did was study and work, but I started to get the itch during the fall of my junior year. My roommates wanted to fish as well, so we packed up some gear and headed over to a subdivision pond that my aunt and uncle were renting a house next to.



This pond was so loaded with fish that were willing to bite anything that I didn't really develop any fishing skills. If I remember correctly, I used a Rapala crankbait for the bass, crappie, and bluegill and chicken livers on a treble hook for the catfish. I never changed it up because I always got fish. I had a rude awakening when I moved to Wisconsin and discovered that not all fishing was that easy!

White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)


Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)


Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)


Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)


Hope you enjoy these old photos! I had a lot less facial hair back then. Those were the days when my wardrobe consisted of white t-shirts and grey hoodies... and not much else.