Bluegills, bluegills and more bluegills.

That’s the report coming in from area bait shops as we head into the Memorial Day Weekend.

America’s favorite panfish is shallow and aggressive as they began spawning activity this week.

“It seems that all the lakes have turned on at once,” said Kevin Claire of Lunker’s. “Historically, the bluegills move into shallow areas on the shallow lakes first followed by the deeper lakes. But this year, the fish are shallow everywhere.”

You can choose your bait of choice – wax worms, red wigglers, red worms or get ‘em on a fly. Claire said poppers and spiders have been good, but so have the black ants and small sinking flies.

“I’m selling wax worms faster this spring than I have any other spring,” added Dick Parker of Central Park Bait in Mishawaka.

Bluegill aren’t the only fish that are putting smiles on anglers’ faces. Largemouth bass have moved shallow and are hitting soft plastics and jerkbaits, according to Dave Garber of The Tackle Box in North Webster.

“The RC Stick, Senkos, and the Skinny Dipper and Little Dipper have been taking a lot of fish on Wawasee,” Garber noted.

Michigan’s bass season opens this weekend as well, just in time for the peak of the spawning season. Oddly enough, Michigan has a closed season to protect spawning bass, yet its opener usually occurs during the peak of the spawning season. Indiana doesn’t have a closed season.

Walleye anglers have been having a good spring, too. Dick Parker said walleyes have been active on the river below Twin Branch.

“It’s the best spring we’ve had for walleyes,” Parker said. “People are catching a lot of 11 to 14 inchers and one out of every 6 or 7 is a keeper.”

Preferred bait has been a jighead with a white Mr. Twister grub fished alone or tipped with a minnow or leech.

Mike McNulty of Midway Bait in Osceola said walleye fishing has been good above Twin Branch, too. Anglers are drifting crawlers, leeches or minnows on a Lindy Rig.

The lake fishing for walleye also has been good. Bryan Williams of Trailhead Mercantile in Niles said walleyes have been hitting well on inland lakes for guys fishing leeches under bobbers. Bonnie Kelley at Kelley’s Bait in Lakeville has received good reports of walleye fishing in her nearby lakes, too.

Garber also noted that muskie fishing has been pretty good on the Barbee Chain and Little Tippy. Successful anglers are using lures to draw fish to the boat but the trailing sucker rig is catching most of the fish.

Lake Michigan fishing was good prior to Thursday’s weather change. Indiana biologist Brian Breidert said coho were being taken in 40 to 60 feet of water and some steelhead were caught near shore. Lakers were being caught in deep water and some perch were being taken in 50 to 55 feet of water. Coho up to 7 pounds, steelhead to 14 pounds and kings up to 18 were caught last weekend.

“Lots of baitfish have been showing up in the stomachs of larger fish while the coho have been seen feeding on bugs near the surface,” he added.