Artificial baits for bream on beds

I spotted a large area of bream beds via my new boat's sonar. The managed private lake is new to me. Was told it has coppernose bluegill stocked in it. What type of artificials would you try? I don't think I have anything specifically for bream but I have crappie baits like trout magnets, what about that. Oh yeah, I do have all kinds of flies for my fly rod. Or would you just use worms or crickets live bait? I know the latter works but I'd rather cast artificial. At first, anyway. If I find them, I will take my brother, he likes to panfish.

I am just assuming the beds have fish on them. I've heard they come back year after year. Maybe I can learn/tweak my Humminbird Helix 9 such that I can see fish.

It's surprising how large this area of beds is. It's over 100 yards long, about 5 ft deep off the bank.

I was told they have some coppernose here that are 1.5 lbs, hope so!

EDIT: I just remembered I also bought some tiny spoons and also small plastic anisoptera (dragonfly nymph) baits from Japan. I guess I bought these two baits for crappie but wonder if they will work for bream. Now that I have the anisoptera plastics, gotta figure out how to rig them, what type of hook etc.

I'd recommend trout magnets, basically smaller versions of crappie magnets. They come with jig heads, if you get a kit, and I use them with all sorts of other small baits.

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Short answer: anything works for bed fishing.

Long answer: if the water is shallow (4' or less), I'd use the fly rod. If fish are deeper, any small jig (like a trout magnet) would be my first choice. I would not use live bait for bed fishing.

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

Short answer: anything works for bed fishing.

Long answer: if the water is shallow (4' or less), I'd use the fly rod. If fish are deeper, any small jig (like a trout magnet) would be my first choice. I would not use live bait for bed fishing.

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:hesaidWhen they’re on the beds small jigs with TMs are deadly, and a fly rod would be a blast! Just like DB4D said! Have at it!
Bob

Black/chartreuse tube on 1/32 head tipped with a wax worm will fill your cooler in no time. If no wax worm a white crappie nibble will take a little longer but will do fine.

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I also would recommend trout magnets as a good reliable bait. You can tip them with a crappie nibble. The antisopera you got from eurotackle would work as well. Good luck and I hope you catch a bunch!

1 inch sliders on a 1/64 jig.


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1/32 0z. Road Runners With one inch sliders . Black is my favorite . Fle fly's perfect pearl go-go minnow . Southern pro's double trouble curly tail are my top 3 baits . Bedded or not , does not matter . jmo.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]400451[/ATTACH
I used the bug in the picture Saturday with real good results. Super slow drag on the bottom with an occasional tiny twitch did the trick. Same jig til I got it hung in about 8’ of water and lost it. They wouldn’t leave it alone. Most anything similar will work well, I prefer darker colors.

I have a mold for a 1 inch Berkley power nymph. This and the trout magnet are my favorite for gills

Do you guys think nibbles or wax worms tipped on the hook of a jig make a difference? A jig or lure would be the easiest, no messing with bait. I guess second best would be a jig or hook tipped with a nibble or wax worm. A bit more hassle is live bait.

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Originally Posted by Damion Kidd

1 inch sliders on a 1/64 jig.


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wow, that is small. Interesting... hmmm...

I have been using Trout Magnet for long time......haven’t fooled with live bait in about 14 years....don’t need to. Lots of micro plastic out there to catch panfish. If you want to tip them with something get you some Berkley Power Wigglers and cut them in to tiny pieces. They stay on the hook far better than Nibbles do......often times I can catch 3-4 fish without losing it.

Regards


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Originally Posted by Eagle 1

1/32 0z. Road Runners With one inch sliders . Black is my favorite . Fle fly's perfect pearl go-go minnow . Southern pro's double trouble curly tail are my top 3 baits . Bedded or not , does not matter . jmo.

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Sir, what kind of 1" slider do you use? You mean black slider?

Flefly perfect pearl go-go minnow and the southern pro double trouble curly tail... what size? 2" is smallest I see.

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

[ATTACH=CONFIG]400451[/ATTACH
I used the bug in the picture Saturday with real good results. Super slow drag on the bottom with an occasional tiny twitch did the trick. Same jig til I got it hung in about 8’ of water and lost it. They wouldn’t leave it alone. Most anything similar will work well, I prefer darker colors.

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I've never seen bream coloring like that, is it a bluegill? Natural or a hybrid?

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Originally Posted by livemusic

wow, that is small. Interesting... hmmm...

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same size as a trout magnet.

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Originally Posted by livemusic

Sir, what kind of 1" slider do you use?

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See here:

1

That’s a redbreasted Sunfish Bill. All colored up for the dance. And full of attitude. My jig came from a do it mold listed as 1/32 ball head, but true weight with a #8 sickle is 1/43 and it’s about as light as I can cast. 1/64 and 1/80 are in my box but only for special places and NO wind. And they hold,got a 5lb 1oz tilapia last year.

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Originally Posted by livemusic

wow, that is small. Interesting... hmmm...

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If they are right on the bank in really shallow water that’s what I use. If they are in 4-5 feet of water I use 1/32.


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Anecdotal but first time using wax worms I could catch one about every 6-7 casts on just a jig.. Tip my jig with a wax worm and would have one on by the time I shut the bail on my reel. Sold ever since.

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Attachment 400533 they have a one inch .

Any small black jigs work. I like a 1/48 jig head with a #8 hook.
I use my long pole most of the time but sometimes cast using a float. Especially if the water is shallower than 3 feet.



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Fly rod? SanJuan worm. Pink or chartreuse will work very well.

I use a duel drop shot rig under a balanced float in water 4 feet or less. In deeper water I remove the float and cast the rig.
The flies are tied on a # 8 hook and are 3/4 inch long. If needed I will add i/2 of a nibble that is tempered.

You are correct, there is no 1 inch flee-fly baits .Also my favorite bait on a flyrod is the "Black gnat "(no feather ) and a close second is a" black ant ", both are wet flies fished on a 7-8 ft. leader .

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Originally Posted by Eagle 1

You are correct, there is no 1 inch flee-fly baits .Also my favorite bait on a flyrod is the "Black gnat "(no feather ) and a close second is a" black ant ", both are wet flies fished on a 7-8 ft. leader .

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Those are both great flies. They are also killers under a small thill ice float with just enough shot to get it down to your depth and just drift along. With that combo you can use an U/L spin setup and cover tight cover and a lot of water fast.
Bob

Attachment 400607

These hand ties work great for me without tipping. If I need to tip, I’ll cut a crappie nibble in half and add it. I use to just use fish formula one on them. Can’t find it anymore.

I would NEVER fish for a bluegill on a bed.....

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Originally Posted by BluegillHunter

I would NEVER fish for a bluegill on a bed.....

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Really? You mean, like it's unethical, like it's going to ruin the fishery? Seems all my life I have been told we need to fish bream on beds to get rid of a bunch of them to keep them under control, there's too many of them. Everybody I know seeks bream beds to fish in May and early summer. On Toledo Bend, in its early years, there was no limit, you could catch as many as you wanted. And we would. I mean, iceboxes slam full of them. Hundreds per day per boat, literally. Hmmm... might still be that way... I just looked at the regs and I see no limit for bream anywhere in this state of Louisiana. I'm open to learning but I have never heard your take.

OTOH, I know of a lake that is so bull of bream, you can catch hundreds anytime you want but they are all about 3" long. We used to catch them and fry them whole. Without gutting. No kidding!

I catch enough to eat, but I don't fish for them on beds. Just my old fashioned ways.

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Originally Posted by BluegillHunter

I would NEVER fish for a bluegill on a bed.....

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What about a futon?

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

What about a futon?

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:Rofl

Go with the lightest weight jig you can get away with. I usually stay at 1/32 ounce. Cast it out, let it sink to the bottom (watch the line because it may not make it to the bottom before getting hit). Slowly, very slowly. drag it or hop it back in. Dark colors seem to work better in dingy water. Slap a slab bite or crappie nibble on and have fun!

I also love 1/32 ounce Bett's spinners, but you have to retrieve them really, really slowly so they down rise up.

My go to is a 1/32 black or black/gray hand tied squirrel tail jig

I use a #8 hook,plastic bead,Ultra Chenille body, fur tail and rubber hackle legs.Attachment 400748

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Originally Posted by livemusic

On Toledo Bend, in its early years, there was no limit, you could catch as many as you wanted. And we would. I mean, iceboxes slam full of them. Hundreds per day per boat, literally.

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On a lake like TB, the bream population would probably not be harmed. Fishing like this has decimated some primo smaller lakes I used to fish, though.

I don't try to bed fish. If I find bedding bream, I'll fish for them, but I release everything I catch.