Stan Fagerstrom
08-31-2004, 08:33 AM
"The Basics for Bluegill"
By Stan Fagerstrom
Part 1
http://www.ifish.net/sfbluegilla.jpg
Lots of fishermen cut their fishing teeth
catching bluegills. Here two young anglers show off their catch.
I cut my fishing teeth catching bluegill, crappie and perch.
There’s nothing unusual about that. So did tens of thousands of other fishermen around this wondrous country. Most have likely gone on to concentrate on the larger species of sports fish. Even so, I’ll bet they still retain a fond spot in their fishing memory book for panfish.
If they’re like me, that’s especially true when their thoughts get around to that scrappy little devil we call the bluegill. Ask an experienced panfish angler the following question sometime: "How do you rate bluegill when it comes to fun and fight? Watch the eyes of the person to whom that question is directed. Chances are they'll light up as mine do whenever my thoughts turn to those scrappy little devils you find in the majority of lakes, ponds and puddles all over the United States.
If another fish has provided more angling fun for millions of Americans, I don't know what it would be. I've never known a serious angler who didn't have a high regard for the pugnacious bluegill. If they were the same size, those little devils would run every bass out of the lake and eat carp three times a day.
http://www.ifish.net/sfstanbluegills.jpg
Good sized bluegills will put a satisfying bend in a light rod.
You'll have more fun if you match your tackle to the size of the fish.
Bluegills aren’t big. You’ll never really enjoy fishing for them unless you scale down your tackle to match the size of the fish. I’ll take a look in my next two columns at the basics of bluegill fishing. I’ve caught thousands of these good eating, hard fighting panfish over the past half century. I’ll share some of the thoughts I’ve come by as a result.
You can, of course, catch bluegill on natural baits. Worms fished on a small hook beneath a light float catch bluegill wherever they are found. But it’s my contention natural bait isn't a necessity. As far as I’m concerned it reduces the sport to its lowest common denominator. You can catch all the bluegill you want on small artificial lures. The two best ways to go about it are with a light spinning outfit or a fly rod.
A word about finding bluegill before we get into how to catch them. If you know the lake you're on holds these wonderful little panfish, ease along the shoreline and watch for feeding activity. Bluegills sometimes give their location away by dimpling the surface as they feed. They make a distinctive little “glurp” as they take something off the top.
If you spot such activity, don't run over the feeding fish. Stay back 30-feet and cast into the area where the fish are. Bluegills aren't loners. They like company. All year long where you find one there will likely be others. Often lots of them. Whenever you catch that first one, work the entire area carefully. Hit it right and you may wind up catching 50 fish or more without moving your boat.
In my next column I’ll discuss fishing for bluegills with spinning tackle. Ultra light spinning gear is made to order for that purpose. Get a light action rod of 5 ½-feet to 6 ½-feet. Equip it with a lightweight open-faced spinning reel. Load the reel with 4-pound test line and you're ready to do business.
By Stan Fagerstrom
Part 1
http://www.ifish.net/sfbluegilla.jpg
Lots of fishermen cut their fishing teeth
catching bluegills. Here two young anglers show off their catch.
I cut my fishing teeth catching bluegill, crappie and perch.
There’s nothing unusual about that. So did tens of thousands of other fishermen around this wondrous country. Most have likely gone on to concentrate on the larger species of sports fish. Even so, I’ll bet they still retain a fond spot in their fishing memory book for panfish.
If they’re like me, that’s especially true when their thoughts get around to that scrappy little devil we call the bluegill. Ask an experienced panfish angler the following question sometime: "How do you rate bluegill when it comes to fun and fight? Watch the eyes of the person to whom that question is directed. Chances are they'll light up as mine do whenever my thoughts turn to those scrappy little devils you find in the majority of lakes, ponds and puddles all over the United States.
If another fish has provided more angling fun for millions of Americans, I don't know what it would be. I've never known a serious angler who didn't have a high regard for the pugnacious bluegill. If they were the same size, those little devils would run every bass out of the lake and eat carp three times a day.
http://www.ifish.net/sfstanbluegills.jpg
Good sized bluegills will put a satisfying bend in a light rod.
You'll have more fun if you match your tackle to the size of the fish.
Bluegills aren’t big. You’ll never really enjoy fishing for them unless you scale down your tackle to match the size of the fish. I’ll take a look in my next two columns at the basics of bluegill fishing. I’ve caught thousands of these good eating, hard fighting panfish over the past half century. I’ll share some of the thoughts I’ve come by as a result.
You can, of course, catch bluegill on natural baits. Worms fished on a small hook beneath a light float catch bluegill wherever they are found. But it’s my contention natural bait isn't a necessity. As far as I’m concerned it reduces the sport to its lowest common denominator. You can catch all the bluegill you want on small artificial lures. The two best ways to go about it are with a light spinning outfit or a fly rod.
A word about finding bluegill before we get into how to catch them. If you know the lake you're on holds these wonderful little panfish, ease along the shoreline and watch for feeding activity. Bluegills sometimes give their location away by dimpling the surface as they feed. They make a distinctive little “glurp” as they take something off the top.
If you spot such activity, don't run over the feeding fish. Stay back 30-feet and cast into the area where the fish are. Bluegills aren't loners. They like company. All year long where you find one there will likely be others. Often lots of them. Whenever you catch that first one, work the entire area carefully. Hit it right and you may wind up catching 50 fish or more without moving your boat.
In my next column I’ll discuss fishing for bluegills with spinning tackle. Ultra light spinning gear is made to order for that purpose. Get a light action rod of 5 ½-feet to 6 ½-feet. Equip it with a lightweight open-faced spinning reel. Load the reel with 4-pound test line and you're ready to do business.