How do you guys find them? i strike out after they leave the shallows
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How do you guys find them? i strike out after they leave the shallows
When it's hot, they'll look for cooler water with more oxygen. That usually means deeper water. I catch a LOT of summer gills in deeper water. Most of the time, they are suspended.
What are you calling deep water? Thanks
I think it depends on where you're fishing. I fish a lot of smaller, natural lakes under 100 acres with a max depth of 15-20 feet. In places like that, I catch a lot of fish suspended in the 6-10 foot range. Why? I can only guess that the temp and oxygen at those depths are optimal.Quote:
Originally Posted by no luck
I also catch a lot of fish right at the surface out in the middle of the lake. I discovered this totally by accident. I'm in my float tube and usually using a fly rod. (A spinning rod works fine, too, but I prefer the fly rod for this.) I cast out about thirty feet or so and paddle slowly around the lake. So, I'm basically trolling. I'm using a floating fly line, though, so my fly is not deeper than about one foot. I regularly catch NICE bluegills doing this, and they hit so hard, they almost take the rod out of my hands. I'm not sure if the fish are always near the surface or if they see my go by and come up from deeper water to investigate.
If you fish big, man-made lakes, I would look for the river channel and fish there. Years ago, I read an article in the old Southern Outdoors magazine about a guy on Kentucky Lake who did just that. He also used a fly rod and fished the 6-10' depths. (Again, the fly rod was just his preference. I think you could do just as well with a spinning rod.)
Which flies do you prefer when working that depth range Disco?
I use a local favorite called the Rubber Legged Dragon. (I'll post pics later.) I also use bead head wooly buggers and, occasionally, trout nymphs, all in #10 or #12.
I've been meaning to experiment with San Juan worms since there are a lot of bloodworms in my waters.
Disco gave you some great info. I just want to add don't give up. Bluegill can be very hard to find. I concentrate on smaller TWRA Lakes for most of my Gill fishing. The big reservoirs are a whole other deal and need a boat and preferably a good sonar to find them easily in the summer.
Regards
I took my neighbor fishin sat morning. I took him to some spots that I had caught fish earlier in the year. And we found them ranging from eighteen inches of thirty six inches of water. We were just using the good ole faithful crickets. But we ended up bringing home fourty keepers. They were just bout all males
We fish reservoirs only (boat) and don't fish beds. We fish outside the beds, in the transitional zone, and in deeper water. Bigger fish and you don't have to rely on spawning fish. The shallowest we fish is 9 to 12 FOW - deepest ~45' (deeper would harm the fish). We look for bug hatches (sometimes 2 or 3 go off at the same time) and birds (Grebes).
Watch where the bass guys fish - most of the time they are showing you where the structure is.
I fish the beds, but only to determine what size males are using which ones, and that is all catch and release. Once the local size is determined then it is a matter of adjacent holding and schooling areas which can be quite deep even when the spawning bed is very shallow.
IMO bluegills don't move very far for anything, and do not rove anywhere to the degree that crappies do. IOW if you are catching dinks, you will not likely catch much of any size in that spot; so move until you connect with size you are looking for. I understand that shellcrackers behave somewhat differently, but they don't live this far north.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
Here's a video of the fly as tied by the originator, Carter Nelson. Accept no substitutes! :biggrin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SETOkWe334
What more could you ask for? :biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by LedHed
Same here. That's not just for trout. Gills are bug eaters, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by LedHed
Amen. We've all heard reports of people catching bluegills on big crankbaits and plastic worms. It's because the bluegills are using the same structure as the bass, and they will occasionally hit a big bait like that. You can mop up on the gills by using small jigs and/or bait.Quote:
Originally Posted by LedHed
Thanks guys most lake I fish are 12 ft the deepest water some 8 ft on some of the others
I find the piers that are well fished full of those bait stealing juveniles. They eat up your bait in seconds. Avoid piers and use a small hook.