What to throw when sight fishing bass around bluegills?

[snake95]

The bluegill spawn is on in north Georgia right now, and the last two days I've watched nice bass lurking around the groups of bluegills in different ponds.

 

The water is just slightly stained to clear.

 

'gills are on sandy to clay beds up very shallow.

 

Bass are lurking and suspending, or cruising around slowly amongst the bluegills.

 

I've tried various soft plastics: craw dragged past on a swinging rugby head, stickbait dropped nearby, and finesse hook and U-tail worm worked past their noses.

 

No interest shown.

 

In the past I've had luck lobbing a stickbait into the midst of swirling pods of bluegills only to be grabbed by a bass on the fall (apparently a lurker).

I've also sight-fished shallow cruising bass by dropping a trickworm in front of them and having the bass go berserk on the worm.

 

Anything else I should be trying in this case?  

[CroakHunter]

Swim jig maybe? Something you can have moving to draw a reaction strike, but you can pause it and let it hit bottom and fish it like a normal jig to make it look like a blugill feeding on the bottom. I've never had much luck catching bass off of bluegill beds. I always resort to my UL and some crickets and catch a mess of gills. 

[Dorado]

Wacky rigged 4" Green Pumpkin (overcast) or Watermelon (Sunny days) both with either Red Flake or Black Flake for slow times. 

 

Bluegill patterned Square bill (like a Strike King 1.5) during dusk and dawn have worked for me in the past for those scenarios. 

 

I have some buddies that would only use swimjigs and jigs w/trailers and be completely effective too, 

[Bluebasser86]

Wacky rigged green pumpkin stick worm, or a bluegill swimbait. 

[LxVE Bassin]

Wacky rigged stick baits and hopping t rigged craws have worked best for me during the blue gill spawn.

[ETX92]

Wacky rigged green pumpkin trick worm or try a keitech or skinny dipper in sungill pattern weightless or on a very light keel weighted hook.

[Rudy523]

I've had luck with a Bluegill patterned Spinnerbait willow leaf blades 

[Outdoor Zack]

Maybe try adding spike it to the tails of your plastics

 

i also like a weightless zoom finesse worm 

 

 

[Bassin_PA]

11 hours ago, snake95 said:

The bluegill spawn is on in north Georgia right now, and the last two days I've watched nice bass lurking around the groups of bluegills in different ponds.

 

The water is just slightly stained to clear.

 

'gills are on sandy to clay beds up very shallow.

 

Bass are lurking and suspending, or cruising around slowly amongst the bluegills.

 

I've tried various soft plastics: craw dragged past on a swinging rugby head, stickbait dropped nearby, and finesse hook and U-tail worm worked past their noses.

 

No interest shown.

 

In the past I've had luck lobbing a stickbait into the midst of swirling pods of bluegills only to be grabbed by a bass on the fall (apparently a lurker).

I've also sight-fished shallow cruising bass by dropping a trickworm in front of them and having the bass go berserk on the worm.

 

Anything else I should be trying in this case?  

Well here in PA the Blue Gill might have spawned already. But I caught 7 blue gill on a zara puppy.  I cast into the shallows near them and they kept hitting the zara.  And kept getting good hook sets on their mouths.  So try a Zara Puppy they will get angry at it and hit it.

[jr231]

With everyone saying you should be throwing senkos, you should probably throw something different. Unless you're fishing private waters. Otherwise, a wacky stickbait has become common knowledge... And used by nearly everyone.. 

 

I like the idea of a bluegill swimbait, topwater walking style bait and I would suggest a shallow shad rap (I like a sweeping retrieve , back and forth. ) 

[smalljaw67]

When bluegills are making beds until they are done spawning, my number one bait is the Livetarget bluegill crank in Matte finish. I like the 1/2oz shallow version, it gets to 3' on 12# line and you fish it right off the spawning flat, it seems that is where the bass hold waiting for passing bluegills. My second choice is a bluegill colored swim jig, and then a spinnerbait or chatterbait. If I need some finesse I'll go with a small swim bait rigged on a light jig head or a wacky rigged stick worm in watermelon with a chartreuse tail.

[fishballer06]

A lot of good baits posted above, but I would like to add in a watermelon colored Fluke to the mix as well. 

[Outdoor Zack]

39 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

With everyone saying you should be throwing senkos, you should probably throw something different. Unless you're fishing private waters. Otherwise, a wacky stickbait has become common knowledge... And used by nearly everyone.. 

 

I like the idea of a bluegill swimbait, topwater walking style bait and I would suggest a shallow shad rap (I like a sweeping retrieve , back and forth. ) 

 

I agree. 

 

What alternatives platics would you try?

[jr231]

14 minutes ago, Outdoor Zack said:

 

I agree. 

 

What alternatives platics would you try?

 

The past couple seasons I have found good success in the rage tail structure bug and menace. GY fat ika and Hula grub. Zoom fluke and warning shot. 

 

Grandebass air tail rattler. 

 

 

[Outdoor Zack]

1 minute ago, Yeajray231 said:

 

The past couple seasons I have found good success in the rage tail structure bug and menace. GY fat ika and Hula grub. Zoom fluke and warning shot. 

 

Grandebass air tail rattler. 

 

 

 

Cool, I usually go to a TX trick worm or baby brush hog  instead of a wacky senko.  Both weightless

[Scarborough817]

tubes

[snake95]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions, guys.  

 

Worth mentioning: at the second spot I saw bass among the bluegills, I tossed a wacky-rigged 7" dinger in Bama Magic (blue and green swirl) to the opposite side of the little bay I was in, and caught a bass about the size of the dinger.  When I did it, I thought of the tip posted recently by @Yeajray231: took the small 1/0 or 2/0 EWG I was using with the U-tail, and without wasting any time, speared it through the dinger to wacky rig in a hurry.  Got bit on the fall on the first cast (but to the opposite side from where I was seeing 'gills and bass).  

 

I tried the first spot again and no visible bass.

 

Will continue to try the recommendations.

[jr231]

Wait.. @snake95 I told you to throw something other than a stickworm if it was a public area lol 

[snake95]

2 minutes ago, Yeajray231 said:

Wait.. @snake95 I told you to throw something other than a stickworm if it was a public area lol 

Ha ha..... true and good point.  On the other hand, I did think about your advice that it is OK to use an EWG for a wacky hook if you decide to make a sudden switch between baits.  Admittedly, I pulled that move a couple of hours before I started this thread.

 

 I just didn't think I had a good answer to my own question until the replies started rolling in and it registered with me that the bass I caught was probably cruising around among the bluegills just like the bigger guy I saw closer to me.

 

Anyway, one outta two ain't bad for a start; I can think of a few select people I deal with would be shocked if I followed 50% of what they suggest I do.

 

 

[BurritoBoiii]

Tube, Fluke, Swimbait

[Jtrout]

Bluegill colored chaterbait with a gold blade get near the gills and make it act erratic or dying. 

[FCPhil]

In the morning you should try a topwater walking bait. Also a glide bait could be worth trying if you have the gear for it. 

[BrackishBassin]

Caught my PB on a Texas rigged 6" Zoom lizard (pumpkin with a chartreuse tail) during the bluegill spawn. Watched bass chasing the bluegill when they got too far off their beds (close to a depth change and hard grass line), tossed the lizard out there weightless, and she hit it like it was a topwater. Had lots of success with that same set up during the bluegill spawn ever since then. 

[wdp]

[rcg703]

2 hours ago, Jtrout said:

Bluegill colored chaterbait with a gold blade get near the gills and make it act erratic or dying. 

I did the exact same thing this past weekend at a lake here in Northern VA. I was walking the bank and saw the bass feeding on gills in the shallows. I threw the chatterbait with a paddle tail trailer about 10 yards past the swirls and killed it when I got to the middle of the feeding frenzy. As soon as I ripped it to get it vibrating again, I got bit. Got a solid 3lb'er on my first cast.