Too early?

[DHW]

The next full moon is April 20. Will that be too early for bream to bed in Alabama. I will be fishing Lake Mitchell and had planned to fish the 18th and 19th. With the cold weather that is coming the water temperature may go down.

[deathb4disco]

The next full moon is April 20. Will that be too early for bream to bed in Alabama. I will be fishing Lake Mitchell and had planned to fish the 18th and 19th. With the cold weather that is coming the water temperature may go down.

Yeah, I think water temp is key. If it's in the high 60's, you'd have a good chance at finding them on the beds. I've had some banner days in April, but I don't think the fish were bedding. In my experience, May is a safer bet for finding bedding gills.

[foul hook]

I was on oliver yesterday. The water temp was low 60s. Lake harding was in the hi 60s in the afternoon.

[LSUguy]

While different bodies of water warm at a different rate... the few places i've been fishing lately the gills are starting to move onto the beds... but still are not very aggressive.

[slab_slayin_fool]

do gills bite when bedding i have been catching them for a few weeks here and have had a few top water takers also

and they have been really active catching 40 in a few hours wasnt bad and alot were hand size and bigger just a few 3 and 4 inchers i dont keep any big ones anyway i just keep some 3 or 4 inchers live for bait most all the time and which carry more eggs bigger ones or small ones

[Oscar73]

Usually the shell crackers will bed first. It seems like I always find them on bed a week or two before the bluegills sometime around the first of May.

If they are not bedding and you are familar with the lake you plan on fishing, try deeper areas out away from where you normally find bedding fish. They are likely to be hanging out in the deeper water if they are not bedding yet.

My notes from last year at this same date say I was catching them in 6 to 10 feet of water right after a cold snap.

Good luck! Report back to us and let us know how it goes.

I plan on trying for a few more spring crappie this Saturday if the weather holds and start hitting the bream heavier in the next couple of weeks.

Oscar

[FishnFed]

What are y'all using for bait? Waxworms seems like a good, inexpensive choice. Please give me some ideas.

thanks, Wally "FishnFed"

[Bluegilll]

What are y'all using for bait? Waxworms seems like a good, inexpensive choice. Please give me some ideas.

thanks, Wally "FishnFed"

Mealworms,maggots,redworms,waxworms,pieces night crawlers, jigs etc.etc.Bluegills arent a picking eater.Just throw something at them & watchem.

[deathb4disco]

What are y'all using for bait? Waxworms seems like a good, inexpensive choice. Please give me some ideas.

Maggots are my favorite. Mealworms are #2.

[Baxter1]

Maggots are my first choice also.I like to tip jigs and flies with them.Here's 1 I caught yesterday on fly tipped with a maggot.