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I was just thinking about habitat drops. We always hear about attracting crappie and bass with artificial structures. Can't recall ever relating gills to this practice. I usually automatically think weeds and rocks. Has anyone have experience with this. :dono
Good question, I'm watching too.
Because most people only fish for gills during the spawn.Quote:
Originally Posted by silverside
Gills relate to structure just like other fish. It's just that almost nobody fishes for them.
I just was thinking that maybe gills are more selective on kind of structure. Or maybe not. Most of my large gill are caught year-round in 20 fow. Seem to be no structure around except small patches of weeds. My mind works in strange ways when I start thinking rotfl
In-Fisherman has published more on gills and structure than anybody. They're practically the only source for this kind of info. If you go to their site and search the archives, I'm sure you could find some good articles.Quote:
Originally Posted by silverside
For a new lake I would watch the bass guys....
I like the outside of weed banks.
we always build gravel beds for brim when building a new pond or lake. as for as dropping structure in the water never really tried that. don't know why you couldn't though.Quote:
Originally Posted by silverside
Some of the best pond fishing spots I've had are around fully submerged lay downs and stumps. So I assume brush piles in the right locations would work well also but never really tried to create specific habitat for them before.
I took an old porch swing , wove cedar branches (dried) through the slats. went out to a standing dead tree snag . Tied a concrete block to the swing and let the snag go through the arms . 14 ft in a farm pond . Deepest in the lake . Can catch everything on this structure .
I've always caught the big gills in deeper water and around submerged logs. Most neer brush piles tend to be dinks.
They like the grass around here, Reed grass mostly in the ponds around here. Catch quality fish around here trolling crickets on full moon at night, these ponds,lakes are like Gin, so you can't get right on them unless it's low light ,so I troll rapalas, works for me. IMHO they like the grassAttachment 287316Quote:
Originally Posted by silverside
Nothing like finding bluegill spawning beds with your sonar. They will go crazy with arties when you drop a jig down on the many "round spawn beds" they make. They cannot stand a lure being in their nest. They will attack with vengeance.
I'm one of the few you mention that targets gills year round.I agree,gills hang out in many the same structure as crappie,proof in the puddin,very rarely do I not catch gills and crappie while fishing structure.The difference may be that gills tend to occupy a wider variety of habitat than crappie,thus making often easier to locate one species over the other,imho.Quote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
Very interesting!
Bigger Bluegill don't need the cover to hide in they may use it as an ambush point or as a food resource for insect larvae. They do key on drops and points like a Bass or Crappie. In the summer they can move to open water where they eat plankton and chase minnows just like the Crappie do. Catching them consistently requires staying after them and following their seasonal movements just like Crappie. I have caught some busters on Crappie cover but just occasionally. They key on the bottom more than Crappie do.Quote:
Originally Posted by trypman1
When gills build their nests they like to put rocks and large pebbles in their nest to attract a mate. The more "structure" they have the more attractive they are to the opposite sex. Here is a picture of a good gill nest. Perfectly round and easily viewable on a sonar both down image and side image. I have fun looking for their nest beds. You usually find many round bed circles when you find one nest so drop your hooks more than once if you catch one.
Attachment 288496