Deep water Gills

I'm having a blast with these big bluegills and a drop shot rig.

I've tried all types of jigs and plastic (including Gulp Alive), but a drop shot with a 1" hunk of night crawler will catch any 'gill in this lake!

The water temp keeps dropping (down to 73 here in PA) and the big gills seem to like the deep water? At twilight, the tiny fish, maybe 3" or 4" go on top and also the shoreline ..... but the big boys don't seem to follow them!

The fall bite has finally started, thank God!

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Nice report and fish

glad to hear they are taking your offering, no matter how deep. great success to you. tight lines.

ive been catching big gills in about 15 fow drop shot 2 redworms bite is alittle slow but hang on theres another

Up in Finger Lakes Region New York, I've been finding the big gills in 15-10 ft all summer.

And the bite just gets better as fall moves on. :fish

They have been hitting Butter worms and Wax worms under a slip bobber fished 8-12 ft in 15-20 ft of water.

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Originally Posted by NYHellbender

I've been finding the big gills in 15-10 ft all summer.

And the bite just gets better as fall moves on. :fish

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NY,

Same here! These big 9" bluegills are really better than Bass?

I use a slip float sometimes, but I like a drop shot better.

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I have had good luck drop shoting a duel Woolly Bugger fly tipped with power bait. I am sure the same rig would work well with a small piece of worm also.

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Originally Posted by Bob/MN

I have had good luck drop shoting a duel Woolly Bugger fly tipped with power bait.

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Bob,

Thanks for the tip! I've been catchin' 100 bluegills with my fly rod and a woolybugger fished near the surface. Today I'm going to try the same woolybugger on a two hook drop shot rig. The bottom hook will still have a hunk of worm, while the top will be a un tipped woolybugger.

It's mighty hard to beat the real thing, crawlers, red wigglers, crickets, and meal worms are the bomb!

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Originally Posted by feeshrman

It's mighty hard to beat the real thing, crawlers, red wigglers, crickets, and meal worms are the bomb!

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feesh,

I have found the same thing. But today I was catchin' a bunch of 'gills in 35' of water with a drop shot and worm hunk.

I saw a lot of fish 18' down, so I put my drop shot midway down. A few gills, but I changed to a Gulp minnow and caught a dozen crappie. It seems to me that crappie won't hit a worm, only a small minnow?

Tomorrow I'm going to use a slip float set 18' with a small jig head and a Gulp Alive minnow. I'll post some pix?

Good luck :popcorn

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Originally Posted by Crappitier

feesh,

I have found the same thing. But today I was catchin' a bunch of 'gills in 35' of water with a drop shot and worm hunk.

I saw a lot of fish 18' down, so I put my drop shot midway down. A few gills, but I changed to a Gulp minnow and caught a dozen crappie. It seems to me that crappie won't hit a worm, only a small minnow?

Tomorrow I'm going to use a slip float set 18' with a small jig head and a Gulp Alive minnow. I'll post some pix?

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Some pretty awesome info with all of the posts - especially Crappitier with the suspended crappies! I catch most of my panfish on artificials too, Gulp! minnows and Power Niblets being my favorite. When bluegills get really tough, I have found that it is almost impossible for them to resist a tiny live leech - fished with a slip sinker and a 3 foot snell.

Right now we are catching gils on wing dams on the Mississippi River with powerbait or a chunk of crawler. Finding the first stretch of water on the dam out of the current, with the fish on the top and backside mostly. Floating a bobber and small jig over the top has been working well too.

I love panfish. I catch 90% of mine on a tiny spoon tipped with a waxworm. Great report. Looks like you had a lot of fun.

What and when, and how is the best time to catch shellcracker?. Also the gills you fellows are talking about does anyone have the same info? How, when were etc. i am in NC on the yadkin chain. Feel free to e-mail. [email protected]. Thanks, Ron

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Originally Posted by excited4711

What and when, and how is the best time to catch shellcracker?. Also the gills you fellows are talking about does anyone have the same info? How, when were etc.

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For good general info on bream, just read through the threads on this forum. For specific shellcracker info, use the search function and search for "shellcracker".

At the top of this page, you'll find sticky threads on tackle and baits. Most people fish for them during the spawn, but they bite year round.

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Originally Posted by excited4711

What and when, and how is the best time to catch shellcracker?. Also the gills you fellows are talking about does anyone have the same info? How, when were etc. i am in NC on the yadkin chain. Feel free to e-mail. [email protected]. Thanks, Ron

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This time of the year the water temp drops and the Gills head for deep water to feed. Last week I graphed clouds of bait fish in 18 to 24 FOW and the gills were near by in 22 FOW. Find a cloud of bait fish and the Gills will be near by.
I use a home tied 1/8 once jig with a #6 hook tipped with power bait. The jig is slow trolled at .5 MPH or less.

Beautiful fish and great eating. May take a few worms with me and give them a try next week while crappie fishing. I need to remember bluegill fishing can be great in the fall. Thanks!