Thread: Bluegill

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

I guess there are not many of us fishing for gills after the spawn....

It's OK with me if it stays that way . Gillchaser

I have access to big water lakes. I focus on marina and community docks out in the deeper water. Not much luck on the small waters. This next season should be better as I hope to follow the fish in and out from the spawn. The lil one does not mind catching the small boyz but I want to be prepared as she gets older.

I was catching them in 20 FOW last year about 5-6 feet off the bottom near a hump. Not the deepest part of the lake but the deepest in the area i was fishing. They were good size too .... 3/4 - 1 lb each. Ive always heard the smallest ones stay close to shore.

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

I guess there are not many of us fishing for gills after the spawn....

I'm trying but not much luck

Originally Posted by gillchaser999

It's OK with me if it stays that way . Gillchaser

I hear ya, brother. Most of the year, I have them all to myself.

Originally Posted by no luck

I'm trying but not much luck

Keep trying, my son. I think a small jig tipped with a wax worm is a great search bait.

I don't fish much, but I fish for them all year except the dead of winter. I also like to start shallow and work deeper until I find them. Pre-spawn I hit the steeper banks with small jigs reeled slowly along the bottom. The rest of the year I work the shallow flats with live bait (I never outgrew the love of watching a bobber go under) starting in about 3 feet of water and slowly working out deeper while fan casting and adjusting depth until I find them. If I can't catch them that way, I'll reluctantly switch to a drop shot rig. It works great, but I don't get the visual thrill of watching the cork move - which is what I really crave.

During the spring, summer and early fall I normally fish deeper water out away from the beds and the outside edges of deep weedlines whether gills are on the beds or not. There are times I will fish as deep as 20fow. The lake I fish is ultra clear and very deep (100fow max depth). I will tightline crickets most of the year but as the weather gets cooler I will tightline small jigs tipped with a waxworm. Around early November I will switch to a slipbobber with small black hair jigs or black ant flies tipped with waxworms. During this colder time of year I concentrate on weedlines from 14 - 20 fow and really slow down.

It took me a while getting used to fishing the conditions of my home lake with the depth and water clarity. While learning your lake stay flexible and enjoy the challenge. You will figure it out.