Thread: panfish flies that work?...

I've been getting some decent sized brim on pheasant tail nymphs size #12 or 14. They probably average 7 to 8".

I use a jitterbee under a cork with wind. When the weather is calm i use a jitterbee on a flyrod with real good success.

Originally Posted by Scoot

I use a jitterbee under a cork with wind. When the weather is calm i use a jitterbee on a flyrod with real good success.

What all have you caught on the jitterbee? I like the looks of it

I use the jitterbee strickly for bream. When I target Crappie I use handtied jigs. Mainly black/chat. and blue and white.

Scoot,

Thanks for sharing about the jitterbee. I've used standard bee patterns with success before, and the jitterbee looks like an improvement. I'll be tying up a couple to try out this year for sure!

Brim killer if you can find them.

Used to think that the Trim Gim popper was the only fly to have, but since tying my own, I have begun to really like a black foam spider or a bully bluegill spider under an indicator.

This is from Jim Hatch at the FAOL board:


"Good question to start off the new warmwater board. I can truthfully say that I've been flyfishing for warmwater fish for half a century now.*G* But alas, I must admit that my learning curve only started in the last few years as a result of information gleaned on this site. Up until that point, flyfishing for bluegills or bass was simply a matter of putting a popping bug where you thought a fish might be. Sometimes they worked well, and at other times it was an exercise in futility.

Thanks to articles by Al Campbell, Old Rupe, Fritz, RK and others, I finally got the message that warmwater fish are just like trout in thier eating habits. If you want to catch more/bigger warmwater fish, go trout fishing for them. Find out what they are feeding on and match it. My best bluegill trip ever was using some PT nymphs I got from you, fishing them 18" below one of my poppers. That afternoon, I caught over 120 bluegills and shellcrackers. Only six of them took the popping bug. That was an eye opener for me. I've since had similar days using other nymphs, midges, scuds, and a whole host of trout flies. I've learned to identify the bugs before I slap them and to tie an imitation to my line and try it.

In my local waters, midges and scuds seem most productive. In particular on the red eared sunfish that I much enjoy fishing for. Prior to this year, bluegills greatly outnumbered my red eared sunfish catches but this year, I have turned it around.*G* I can concentrate my efforts on the red ears almost to the exclusion of the bluegills. Why would I want to do this? Many of our red ears here on the Santee Cooper lakes will exceed 2 pounds and 5 pound red ears are not unheard of. My best to date has been over 3 pounds on the little banty. If that doesn't put a grin on your face, nothing will.*G* My advice to flyfishermen wanting to target warmwater fish is to go trout fishing in warm waters. It works for me.

Pete, my biggest red eared sunfish have been taken on #16 to #20 midges and scuds. Fishing larger flies increases the odds of my catching bluegills instead of red ears as does fishing dry flies. Warm regards, Jim"


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