Hey all,
You may have seen my thread titled "Incidentals". In it, I had stated that I caught a 3.5 pound bluegill, which may now be 4 pounds (there's a pic in the thread). I have decided to start a thread on catching big bluegill, like "The Beast". So, here goes:
LOCATION: If you can't find big bluegill, you can't catch big bluegill. Lots of people will fish a heavily pressured area, and expect to catch big bluegills. Not once have I seen a big bluegill pulled out of a body of water where a whole family is fishing with their Zebcos. You need to find the spots that have been untouched. A lot of people will say that you need deep water to catch big bluegill. That is only partly true. If you want to catch bluegill during the spawning season (summer), then I'd recommend you find a few deep (at least 7') holes to fish. They could hold a big bluegill bed, and more importantly, a big bluegill. But any other time, those nests often become hidey-holes for snapping turtles, and other bottom creatures. Then, the bluegill move into shallow water to seek structure, like sunken trees, and docks. Even in summer, I've caught big bluegill in the shallows. They usually come into the shallows for food, once their supply gets sparse in deep water. A good place to fish is one that has trees above it, especially willow trees. I've found that bugs are usually all over willow trees. When it gets winds, the bugs all get knocked off the tree, and then they fall straight into the water, to be consumed by bluegill. If you find one near shallow water, it will also be plagued by smaller bluegills. If you find one that is right above a deep hole, you've just found yourself a perfect place for bullgills.
SETTING UP CAMP: When you're trying to catch big bluegills, it's not like you go out for an hour and catch a bunch - it's like fishing for 15+ pound bass - you wait a long time, and catch maybe one fish (except with bluegills, it can be more). Sometimes, I will set up a camp and stay out for 24-36 hours at a time. If you stay out for 5-6 hours, you may catch 1-2 biggies. Staying out 24-36 hours can yield up to 20 biggies. It's well worth it. My basic camp is just a tent with a tarp stretched out front, and a chair under the tarp. I pitch camp close to the water, so I can just sit in my chair and fish for hours on end. I get very little sleep while fishing - usually, it's during the hottest hours of the day. Big bluegill get turned off during super hot temperatures. A cooler will serve you well while fishing for big bluegills. It can hold drinks, food, and bait. I find it useful to bring one big one, rather than one for food/drinks, and one for bait. A 5-gallon bucket with an aerator will also come in handy, if you're using anything you catch in the water for bait (*hint hint* - YOU SHOULD). When it's cold, a fire at night is nice. When on the shore, I cannot stress enough that you need to be stealthy. Keep a low profile. Camo works well. Covering your tent in black tarp waterproofs it and adds to the stealth factor. The other important thing is rods - don't use tons of them. I usually only use 1 rod at a time, maybe 2. Having a dozen rods out gets confusing, especially when you're on your own. Two is okay - one with live bait, one with an artificial.
RODS, REELS, AND LINE: For bullgills, ultra-light just won't cut it. I prefer a medium-light spinning rod. The Vendettas are nice, and they also double as my drop shot rods for bass. I prefer a 7 foot rod, just so I can cast super far to a spot without having to walk all the way over. Abu Garcia Orra reels are my favorite. They're super smooth, and won't break the bank. For line, I never use monofilament. Well, never since a 1+ pounder ran me through rocks and broke me off. I prefer a "3-stage spooling system". First, spool 1/3 of your reel with 10-pound Spider Wire monofilament. Next, tie on some 10 pound Spider Wire braid. Fill almost the rest of the spool. Leave room for a 4-foot, 8-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader. Now, your reels have been properly spooled for big gills.
LIVE BAITS AND RIGGING: While big gills have certainly been caught on flies, I feel it is a waste of time if you're going for lots of big gills. Not to mention it can be hard as f&$*. To set up a live bait rig for normal sized bluegill, you could just take a red and white bobber, a little split shot, and a soze 6 baitholder hook. None of that tackle is sufficient for big bluegill.
First, you should start with a Thill spring bobber, the ones that clip on. These are black, rather than white, and when they hit the water, they make a smaller splash. The floats are only used if fishing with a float rig. When drop shotting, don't use them. To finish the float rig, take the smallest split shot you can get, and coat it thickly with black paint. For some reason, big bluegills HATE the presence of lead, so anything you can do to hide it will help your case. On top of that split shot should be a small red bead. While some bluegill anglers swear by using spinner blades, they suck for big bluegill. If anything, they deter them. To finish the rig, use a size 2-4 red or black hook. I prefer Eagle Claw hooks, but any brand will work fine. Use aberdeen hooks for that, not baitholder. Another hook option are size 6-4 circle hooks. I prefer Mustad for those.
To set up a drop shot rig for bluegill, first set up your dropper loop like for a normal dropshot rig. Use a size 4-6 circle hook. Aberdeen hooks are OK for this rig, but circles are preferred. After you have your little loop, tie on your sinker. I prefer a 3/16 ounce tungsten drop shot weight for this. Now, just either let it sit, or very slowly drag it across the bottom.
For live baits, there are lots of ways to go wrong, and lots of ways to go right. Let's start with your everyday minnows. Fatheads work, but only big ones. My favorite minnow to use is a big, fat, gravid mosquito fish. I catch and hand-select these in a local ditch, called "The Breeding Pond". Shiners will also work. Have you ever noticed bass preying on bluegill? Well, sometimes it's the other way around. tiny baby bass are like candy to big gills. Utilize these, if possible. Another bait is baby bluegill. Yes, bluegill are cannibals. Crawfish are another good bait. I prefer soft-shell crawfish that I hand-pick. I always use these live. Let's look at worms. This is probably the biggest mistake you could make, fishing for bluegill. If you want to catch small bluegill, sure, go right ahead and use those earthworms from your garden. If you want to catch 1/2 to 3/4 pounders, you can try nightcrawlers. The problem with worms is that everything else in the water will go for them. Leeches have never caught me a big bluegill. Only smaller ones. Crickets are bait for small bluegill. If you want big ones, use a grasshopper. One of my secret baits is a cockroach. They work great, and you can catch them in your basement or garage. The last bait I like to use are baby frogs. Make sure they're pretty small though.
ARTIFICIALS: Plenty of artificials will catch big bluegill. My PB was caught on a Livetarget squarebill, but that was the only bluegill I'd ever caught on that lure. I would never try to catch bluegill with that bait. Why? It simply isn't designed for bluegill, even or epic proportions. My favorite lures are listed below:
Rebel Big Ant - This is my No. 1 big bill lure. It's a hard find, but stock up on these - they're great.
Jointed Rebel Minnow - There's just something about the somewhat off-action of these lures that pi$$ off big gills.
Rooster Tails - 1/16 ounce to 1/8 ounce - get yourself some.
Booyah Pond Magic - These will work, but usually catch more bass than bluegill. Good if you want a break from gills.
Creme Frog - This flat-out works.
Beetle Spin - These baits can work great. The trailer needs to be replaced though. Replace it with a Creme frog, or a live bait.
BPS Uncle Buck's Series - Almost all of these plastics have worked for me, but they can catch small ones - use at your own risk.
Leland Panfish Magnet - This tantalizing bait works great when dropped over a bed. Or anywhere, for that matter.
Rebel Pop-R - If you use a really tiny one, this thing flat-out kills 'em.
Mini Lizards - There is nothing that ticks big gills off more than a lizard "robbing" their nest. I have someone who hand-pours lizards for me. You can also buy 4" Zoom lizards, and rig them with a spinner thing from a Creme worm, or texas/carolina rig them.
Strike King Bitsy Minnow - Holy moly, hold on tight!
Gulp Alive! Minnow - Drop these under a dock, with just a hook = deadly.
Megabass Siglett - I once had one of these, and caught a 1.2 pounder on it. I'm currently looking for more.
Rapala Husky Jerk - If you get a small one of these, it won't disappoint
Rapala X-Rap - You know those x-raps you use for bass? Downsize a bit, and you might just hook into a monster gill,
Maki Plastics - These are expensive, but pretty cool. They're like the creatures of the panfish world
Strike King Bitsy Pond Wiggler - Eh... They're alright. Good to have 'em. They work well in pressured waters.
Rebel Hellgrammite - See the pond wiggler.
Rebel Raider - I have recently discovered these, and they might just be my new favorite.
OTHER THINGS TO HAVE: Bluegill fishing is kind of like shark fishing - you have your guys who fish from a boat, and the budget-minded guys fishing from shore. I prefer to fish from shore to catch big bluegill. However, a small canoe or pond prowler without a motor will work fine. A useful thing to tale with you is a net. I use a shad net, found at BPS. It can land bluegill, and catch bait. It's practically bulletproof. I always carry my Leatherman surge. I also carry duct tape, Orvis hemostats, superglue, and a Kershaw outdoorsman knife. That should do you good. If using a boat, a small fishfinder might work well. Minnow traps also will help you to catch bait.
LAST WORDS: If you read this far, thanks a bunch! It really means a bunch if someone actually read this guide. I hope you can go out and use this information to help you catch those big bluegill. Thanks again,
Drew
~Catch 'em
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