Frogtastic's Guide To The Ultimate Fishing Camp

[FrogTastic]

In the last 3 threads of this series we talked about basic fishing for big bluegill, catching live bait, and creating the ultimate dough bait. In this thread, we'll talk about setting up the ultimate fishing camp. NOTE: I use this camp for 24-36 hours at a time, so I can manage to set it up pretty fast myself. With 1-2 more people, we can get it completely done in 15-20 minutes. 

 

FOREWARD: Earlier, I had stated that to catch big bluegills, you need to stay out for a while. You can't go out for 45 minutes and say "it's too hot, I give up". That kind of attitude will never catch you anything. You can't stay out for an hour and expect to have stringer-full of 1-pounders. It doesn't work like that. It's kind of like fishing for 15+ pound bass - you fish all day, and might get one or two (except with bluegill, it's usually more). That is why a good camp is essential for anyone looking to catch big bluegill. 

 

THE BASIC RIG: For starters, get yourself a good tent, maybe 1-2 person. I personally prefer a 4-person, but 1-2 works just fine. I like a black tent, as it is stealthy on the shore. Other colors/patterns that work well are light blue, green, and camo patterns. The tent should have good screened-in windows, which you can place a cloth over to close them up. It should also include a waterproof tarp. This stays on top of my tent at all times, because you never know when rain might hit. The next step is to take a tarp, say 6 feet long by however wide your tent door is, and two big sticks, however high your tent is. Put the sticks firmly in the ground 6 feet away from the entrance to your tent, and place the holes in the tarp through the thin part of the stick. Then, place the other holes in the tarp through the tent rods. The last step to create a basic camp is to place a super-comfy chair under the tarp. Now, you have a nice spot to sleep in, sit in, and fish under.

 

FURTHER ADVANCEMENTS: While the basic rig should work just fine, there are plenty more creature comforts that I like to bring with me. A cot is nice. I place a thick blanket over it, and have a pillow too. That makes for a nice napping place, and it's far more comfortable than my chair. One thing I have learned to do is light up my campsite at night. In the summer, I'll sleep for about 6 hours a day, in the hottest hours of the day. Night fishing works well for big bluegill, so I'm sure to be well rested so I can fish all night. To light the camp up, I usually hang lanterns along the tarp, plus a light in the tent. A basic cooking set, with a stove and some pots/pans/silverware can come in handy. Sometimes I bring it, but it adds a lot of weight to my bag. Sometimes, I just use MRE's. But after a long day of fishing, a nice cooked dinner tastes better than you'd think. I bring stuff to make pita pizzas. Look them up if you've never made them. They're easy and good. Another invaluable tool to have is a fan. They feel great when you're napping during the heat of the day. The only other things that I bring are my headlamp, a small first aid kit, and a small survival kit. 

 

GEAR TO BRING: You don't want to bring tons of gear to your spot. On any given trip, I have:

• All the above stuff
• A cooler, full of drinks
• 2 rods
• A tool kit, with a few knives, a multi-tool, duct tape, super glue, and hemostats
• A landing net
• Some containers/food/aerators for live bait; plus, some stuff to catch live bait
• If I'm going to use a boat, it's already at the spot. Carrying a big canoe gets tiring quick, even for 2-3 people
• Last but not least, a 2-tray tackle box chock-full of lures and terminal tackle

WHAT TO WEAR: Camo. The main reason people only catch small bluegill is because they spook off the big ones. How often do you see a little kid wearing something that is dull green/brown/legit camo? They like to wear bright colors, and that's fine. It just means they won't catch big fish. Basic dark khaki cargo pants, a dull green shirt, and a blue hat is my "specially-designed" camo. The dark brown represents the dirt and dead grass on the ground-level. The green represents the trees, a bit above ground level. And the blue represents the sky, way above ground level. I also carry a gray hat and a white hat (white for really cloudy, blue for clear, gray for stormy). From a fish's perspective, you're generally above them. They are looking up on you. That's why this setup works. The other thing I cannot stress enough is to wear boots! I used to wear flip-flops on the trips, until I stepped on a massive fire ant hill. That ruined what was supposed to be the longest, best trip of the year. Also, high socks will help with the boots. 

 

BRAVING THE ELEMENTS: Many a time, anglers have backed out on me because of the weather. Usually, they're being sissies, but sometimes the weather can be pretty miserable out there. Light rains are never a problem, and they actually help. Brutal heat can be the most miserable. Occasionally, I'll go for a swim if it's that hot. Heavy, torrential rains are nothing a good angler/outdoorsman can't handle. Even snow can be fished through (that's where a good campfire comes in handy). The only weather I won't fish through are bad storms. That actually gets to be pretty dangerous. One tip I've learned over the years is that you should never cancel a trip until an hour before you leave. The weather can change very quickly, and one minute it may say it's going to storm, and then 15 minutes later it changes to sunny and 80 degrees. You never know, so you should probably go. After all, you can always come home.

 

PEOPLE: Sometimes, having lots of people on a trip can be pretty fun. When fishing for big bluegill, I never have more than 2 more people with me. It becomes too much gear, too many people to worry about, and too much mess to clean up. Also, you have more people moving around the water's edge, which means there are more things to spook off that trophy 4-pounder you just saw. I'd say a two-man crew is best.

 

LAST WORDS: Well, there you have it. You can now (hopefully) set up a simple shelter for 1-2 days, with all included creature comforts. Hopefully this thread has taught everyone something about the enticing world of targeting massive bluegill. See you in our next, and final, thread. Adios!

 

 

[kcdinkerz]

You really like bluegills lol. I don't usually catch any big ones just frys that we use as bait but they are fun to catch on ultra light tackle. Thanks for the Tips