When Do Bluegills Get Active?

[Scorcher214]

So the weather starting to gt a wee bit nicer. Thursday's gonna be a high of 56. I fish a pond that has a healthy population of bluegills and bass. Also a gravel pit that has bass, bluegills, crappie, and i think there may be a few pike. I bought a couple road runners and a beetlespin to try out for some bluegills and crappie till bass season hits. At what point will they be active enough for it to be worth fishing? The pond, i was told is about 15 feet at it's deepest point but is pretty much 1-4 feet around where i can get to fish. The gravel pit has to be at least 30ft deep, and around the shore where I can cast to, gets to probably 15ft. Any advice on fishing for bluegills is appreciated. 

[ww2farmer]

All year long. Ice out till ice up, and then through the ice. Seriously. If your not catching them, it's because your not around them. I used to do a lot of fishing for bluegills for the first two-three weeks after ice out. My number one method was a waxworm wacky rigged on a #8 hook under a slip bobber. Set the depth on the float to just dangle the bait above them, and use just enough weight to get the bait to slowly sink and pull the line through the float up to the stopper, but not stand it up, set it so the bite stands it up. They bite so light this time of year, often time they just mouth it and sit there, not even taking the float down, but even a light bite would make the float twitch up.  But like I said,I would let it sink till the bobber met the stop, let it sit for a little bit, jiggle, then pull the line back up through the bobber, pull the rig 5 feet closer, let it sink and repeat. I was never skunked on this technique on dozens of different ponds, canals, creeks and lakes that I had access to, and would often catch limits in just 2-3 hours after work, but the key is you have to be around them. But when you do find them this time of year they will be stacked big time. I always liked the corners of ponds next to the dike with deep water close or in the deepest water in the BACK of a creek.  If you want to catch one in upper 30, low 40 degree water that's the way to go. Leave the spinners at home until it warms up.

[OkeechobeeAngler]

They are really active now here in SC. Caught a nice one today on a 2in Rapala. 

[HeavyDluxe]

All year long. Ice out till ice up, and then through the ice. Seriously. If your not catching them, it's because your not around them.

 

x2

 

We usually put a small chunk of worm on a small baitholder or aberdeen hook.  About 6" up from that, put on a small split shot.  Experiment with the size of the split shot to get a slow, but not boringly so, fall.  My kids and I cast this out on UL spinning gear and, as it hits the water, close the bail and hook the line with our rod-hand fingers.  You'll feel them pulling, so just give a pull and have fun.

 

When you get into a bunch of big 'gills on light tackle, that's high livin'.

[GeorgiaBassBros]

In my experience the gills never stop, only get a little less active in the cold. I have the best luck using a slightly bigger than you would think hook, a size or two up from what you would think to use because our massive georgia gills like to swallow everything in sight and puttin half a night crawler on there hooked about four times so theres still an around two inch pieces of worm hangin off of each side. Weightless with ultra light gear

[wademaster1]

Live bait: nightcrawlers & crickets

 

Artificials: jigs under a float or without, small cranks and small topwater lures....

[Bankbeater]

I usually use a 1/16 white rooster tail, or a very small crankbait.

[Jay Ell Gee]

My best cold water approaches are upside down bream killers and upsides down weighted spider flies on a light fly rod.

They should be up and moving soon. I had a big gill hit my Booyah Pad Crasher yesterday morning.