Best way to catch bluegill

[Bhox]

I've been using bread to catch bluegill lately but the tilapia constantly get in the way. I need a better way to catch the bluegill. I was wondering if anybody could help.

[lonnie g]

try red worm on bottom or bee moths if available. watch line close,  sometimes they just take it and don't move far. get sensitive ultra light, you might not be feeling the bite. good luck 

[RoweBoatRVA]

Depending on when and where you are trying to fish for them. When is a big factor like bass. I try to find cover like a low tree or dock. Use a light spinning rod and light line, like 4lb flouro. Cast it like you would larger lures. Keep your rod at 45 degrees and vary your retrieve speed.

 

Bluegil would be a sharp bite or multiple taps and Crappie is a very light bite and will usually run with it.

 

Are you fishing from a boat or the bank?

[Dropinbrix]

I use crappie nibbles on a size 4 hook, weightless on an ultralight. Peel some line off and flip it out like youre fly fishing. Watch the line as it drops and youll see it jump. Ive never caught a crappie on one only bluegill, red ears, warmouth etc.

[Bhox]

42 minutes ago, RoweBoatRVA said:

Depending on when and where you are trying to fish for them. When is a big factor like bass. I try to find cover like a low tree or dock. Use a light spinning rod and light line, like 4lb flouro. Cast it like you would larger lures. Keep your rod at 45 degrees and vary your retrieve speed.

 

Bluegil would be a sharp bite or multiple taps and Crappie is a very light bite and will usually run with it.

 

Are you fishing from a boat or the bank?

I'm fishing from the bank. The water is pretty murky and there's not a lot of structure.

[RoweBoatRVA]

3 minutes ago, Bhox said:

I'm fishing from the bank. The water is pretty murky and there's not a lot of structure.

 

Sorry I forgot to mention. Throw a 1/32 jig head with a curly tail grub.

Like when fishing for Crappie, if there is no visible structure look for vegetation, like grass, or low hanging trees.

 

If you are fishing in the winter they may be in deeper water. If so I try to keep my jig head near the bottom.

[slonezp]

There are tilapia in northern Michigan?

[bassguytom]

Use a trout magnet. Catch all the bulegill you want. 

[Dyerbassman]

Live crickets work well here in Indiana.

[jr231]

Bluegill eat anything.. easiest fish to catch.. get some powerbait crappie nibbles. Convenient and easy to carry.. use under a float. 

[Bhox]

4 hours ago, slonezp said:

There are tilapia in northern Michigan?

I'm in very beach Florida right now:)

[Bluebasser86]

I use a 1/80oz jighead with a piece of orange 2" grub. I catch hundreds of them a year to use for catfish bait. 

[Bhox]

5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I use a 1/80oz jighead with a piece of orange 2" grub. I catch hundreds of them a year to use for catfish bait. 

I will try the grub!

[Bluebasser86]

3 minutes ago, Bhox said:

I will try the grub!

This is what the whole thing looks like. I fish it on a 6' UL Avid with a 750 Symetre and 3.5lb DAM Techtan line. I've even sight fished some nice carp with the same setup when they're eating falling berries. 

[N Florida Mike]

I catch a lot of bream with bread.And sme on worms.In florida we call em wigglers.

Anyway, with bread you can do it several ways.To start with the bread must be fresh to work the best on the hook. I like merita bread best if you can get it.Use staler bread to bait em up.If you have a spot you like,throw bread or fish pellets out daily to keep them there.I use a #6 bronze eagle claw hook for bigger bream,and smaller for catching bait bream.I do not use a cork or weight.I will use a bb shot weight if fishing deep water.I also use 4-6 pound test line.

When I start,I throw out some old bread to get them started.When I start seeing them feeding,I bait the hook .There are several methods for this.You can stick the hook in a piece of crust and gently throw it out for topwater action.I also mash a piece of the white part flat on the hook,which will cause it to sink more slowly as it flutters to the bottom.If you arent catching big ones these ways,try a small balled up piece .It wll sink faster and get to the bottom where the bigger ones often hang out.Dont be suprised if you catch catfish and shiners this way too.To hook the bream just wait until the line starts moving steadily in one direction.When the line is almost tight,pop em ! ?

I fish worms( usually 1/2 of the worm )with a small cork if Im fishing emergent brush or trees.When setting the hook with a cork,use a staight up hookset or youll miss the fish usually. In water with a relatively clean bottom,I like fishing them on the bottom with one small split shot sinker.

Mike

 

[Jagg]

And this...

 

 

When the water is murky. Once you find them, work them with jigs and/or bobber rigs. 

 

I love casting jig/grub for bluegill, but I typically cast them in clear to moderately clear water. If you are gonna cast grubs, use chartreuse or fire tiger. Also use scent.

[JLWoodman]

I always find panfish near cover and structure.  Docks, vegetation, submerged tree branches, the list goes on.  The best places I find them in are in weed holes with some kind of submerged wood in or next to the holes, or docks next to boat launches.  In my experience they do not go for fake lures a lot, but they always will go for some kind of live bait.  For me, I always take wax worms and night crawlers.  If they are not eating one, they eat the other.  I thread the wax worms on the hook so they can't easily steal your bait.  It's the same for night crawlers.  I cut the night crawlers into long enough sections to just thread them on the hook and I don't leave any hanging off, very simple.  I can catch our Michigan 25 daily limit in 15-20 minutes on good days, and a couple hours on bad days.  We fill our freezer during the summer and have quite a few fish fry's throughout the year this way.

[ww2farmer]

I don't know if's the best way for anyone else, but the best way for me is on an UL sized drop shot rig.

 

I like a VMC #8 spinshot hook, an 1/8 oz drop shot sinker, and a 1" gulp minnow nose hooked on the hook. It works in 2' or 40' of water. Most days when I pick this rig up and go looking for bluegills, I catch hundreds of them.

[Dfosterf]

Thwap!  (or is it thwerp!?)  That's the sound that a bluegill makes when it hits your popper on a fly rod. That sound, that feeling, especially on something like a 3 weight fly rod... though a 5 or 6 weight is better starting off for most...

 

Tough to beat in the pleasure department.

 

Come on, spring! 

 

In the meantime, what everyone else said, plus put a piece of slim jim on your hook- the only hard part is that once you open the package, it takes more willpower than I have to not eat your bait.

 

 

 

[Sam]

1.  Canned corn on small gold hook.

2.  1-inch white curly tail grub on a 1/64 weight jig head.

3.  All on 6 pound flouro or mono.

4.  Spinning rig.

 

Have fun.

[Jagg]

On 1/28/2017 at 9:22 PM, ww2farmer said:

I don't know if's the best way for anyone else, but the best way for me is on an UL sized drop shot rig.

 

I like a VMC #8 spinshot hook, an 1/8 oz drop shot sinker, and a 1" gulp minnow nose hooked on the hook. It works in 2' or 40' of water. Most days when I pick this rig up and go looking for bluegills, I catch hundreds of them.

Drop shot is typically not the first option for murky water. If you are gonna use one in murky water, make sure it is chartreuse, fire tiger or black. Also make sure it is scented like a Gulp! Alive! bait or squirt some scent in the tube cavity. Makes sense to use a soft plastic that is fairly bulky and will move a lot of water like a beavertail or something similar.

[Bassun]

For me, bluegill fishing is 4lb line with a tiny grub 99% of the time, unless I'm on the fly - then a black gnat pattern I tie seems to work wonders as well as lil poppers. 1/16th oz jig, and up to a 2" grub.  Colors -- Depends on my mood, lol.  Pink, yellow & white are my top picks generally regardless of water clarity.  I'm generally on the water, so I just cast right up on shore and work it back until I find em.  Then it's just rinse and repeat, replace the grub (if you want) when they pull off the tail and keep on beating the bank, lol.  A jig with a good keeper is super handy so you don't spend as much time fixing it.

 

If the water is really, really stained, a beetle spin generally finds its way on.

[Jagg]

12 hours ago, Bassun said:

 

 

If the water is really, really stained, a beetle spin generally finds its way on.

^ This also. Elbow spinner harness helps when visibility is really bad. I like small cranks/topwaters because your hook up percentage is better and the average bluegill tends to be bigger compared to a jig and much bigger compared to bait.

[scaleface]

For fun use  a fly rod . Little poppers over the beds is a blast . There are all kinds of sinking flies .I like Honey bees .

[LBASS01]

I always had the best luck with live crickets