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| It's not going to set a size record, but don't let its size fool you. The scrappy little bluegill is as tough as any fish that swims. |
The Basics For Bluegill: Part 1
By Stan Fagerstrom
I cut my fishing teeth catching bluegill, crappie and perch.
There's nothing unusual about that. So have 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 these panfish you'll 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.
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 cotention that 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 is in order before we get into techniques to catch them. If you know the lake you're on holds these panfish, ease your boat along the shoreline and watch for feeding activity. Bluegills sometimes give their location away by dimpling the suface 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 areas 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 gear.
To Be Continued |
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| Lots of anglers get their start catching bluegill. These interesting panfish are found all over the country and can be caught in a number of ways. |
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