I was referencing panfish .
When I googled “ main food source for bluegills “
This is what I got .
“ Their diet includes algae, plant seeds, and aquatic vegetation, zooplankton, insects and insect larvae, small crustaceans, fish eggs (including those of other bluegills), larval fish, amphibian eggs, and smaller fish.”
Notice, smaller fish is listed last , that’s although they do eat smaller fish I try to appeal to the insect , insect larvae and other small and tiny food sources that are near the shore , where I fish .
I guess it’s from my days of fly tying for trout . My micro jigs represent tiny creatures that are swimming erratically through the water .
I don’t use any bait or tip my jigs with anything . I haven’t used bait in over forty years .
I did try nibbles a couple of times and some Gulp 1” minnows , but didn’t care for the experience and didn’t catch any more than I do with a plastic bait or handtied jig .
I fish for fish , not necessarily panfish , but whatever decides to eat my tiny morsels .
It works for me .
I’ve actually come to enjoy the challenge of catching “something” from the banks .My Banks that are heavily fished .
There were five or six other fishermen fishing off the docks today when I went . I think I was the only one to catch anything.
A couple of tiny gills , but it beats a skunk .
Panfish will eat a lot of things .
