Thread: How, where to catch slab gills now in the Carolinas?

Originally Posted by r2002

I found online most are northerners ice fishing.

... and they're mostly fishing weedbeds in deeper water. Go and do likewise.

Gills are just like any other fish. If they're not in the shallows spawning, they're usually on structure in deeper water. Often, they will suspend.

Richard,
3 of us hired a guide earlier this year to take us ShellCracker fishing on Murray. (They are a bluegill's larger cousin). The way he fished for them was to anchor off points where you could see shells on the bottom and shoreline, this is what they mainly feed on. We put out several lines right on the bottom using night crawlers and wigglers. We did not use any floats, just a snug line running to the weight and hook. We tried to vary the depths from 3 feet to 15 feet, so you could do this from shore when you locate a suitable point. Make good use of the rod holders you got from me and the round section is made to hold a box of worms. (got more if you need them,LOL)
The best times for this method is early spring, maybe March to June and fall around Sept to Nov. That is not to say it won't work any other time. As warm as it has been this winter I suspect it will work until it gets into the 30s at night.
Other times like summer, you can catch blue gill bedding in shallow water from April all through the summer and crickets are excellent but wigglers will work too. You can also cast Beetle Spins along the shore line for them. They tend to go deeper in cold weather so spring thru fall is best for this.
These methods should work on any of the lakes around the south.

so how did you three do with the guide? Good results?

when? March?

Originally Posted by SeaRay

Richard,
3 of us hired a guide earlier this year to take us ShellCracker fishing on Murray. (They are a bluegill's larger cousin). The way he fished for them was to anchor off points where you could see shells on the bottom and shoreline, this is what they mainly feed on. We put out several lines right on the bottom using night crawlers and wigglers. We did not use any floats, just a snug line running to the weight and hook. We tried to vary the depths from 3 feet to 15 feet, so you could do this from shore when you locate a suitable point. Make good use of the rod holders you got from me and the round section is made to hold a box of worms. (got more if you need them,LOL)
The best times for this method is early spring, maybe March to June and fall around Sept to Nov. That is not to say it won't work any other time. As warm as it has been this winter I suspect it will work until it gets into the 30s at night.
Other times like summer, you can catch blue gill bedding in shallow water from April all through the summer and crickets are excellent but wigglers will work too. You can also cast Beetle Spins along the shore line for them. They tend to go deeper in cold weather so spring thru fall is best for this.
These methods should work on any of the lakes around the south.

Had to have been March or early April because it turned off windy and cold that day and we were cold all morning. We learned more about techniques and what to look for than actually catching fish. The wind blew so hard we could not fish the points he wanted to fish. We did catch some fish, but not what you would expect in decent weather.