bluegill rig

[Frozenfish]

What is the best bluegill rig for inland lakes?????

[ESOX]

3wt flyrod, rubber spiders.

[wyle_e_coyote]

I am also in favor of the flyrod and spider, I also get good results on small popers.

I will use a bobber split shot and #8 hook when they are on the beds to fill my bucket.

Try a small "beatle spin" tpye lure with a Mr Twister tail on ultra light spinning tackle. That is fun, those 8,9,10 inch gills put up a good fight...!

They will be on the beds heavy in the next few weeks..gotta fill my freezer! I just ate the last bag I had this past week end.. Venison backstrap steaks and Bluegill = Michigan redneck Surf and Turf...:lol:

[Big Al]

I prefer small white poppers over spiders, but they all work. If you don't have a flyrod but a red and white bobber on your line 2' above you fly to use as casting wieght. If you're fishing deeper water, put a wetfly or streamer on a dropper below your popper and you'll catch even more.

[Burksee]

I like my 5' or my 5.5' uglystick ultralight spinning rod, my little Mitchell 408 with some 4 to 6# test, a tie on fly bobber, about a 3 to 5 foot leader of 2 or 3# test line, tipped with either a small popper or spider. :)

When my little one joins me we'll use ice jigs, wax worms and very small stick bobbers. She's gotta Zebco 33 on a 5' rod with 6# test. This rig is easier for her to cast and she gets a kick out of watching the bobber take off across the water! :lol:

[Jigawhat]

anyone on this site sell poppers and spiders? or where else can one find these? Are they normally found in the the fly-fishing dept.s?

thanks

[Burksee]

anyone on this site sell poppers and spiders? or where else can one find these? Are they normally found in the the fly-fishing dept.s?

thanksJig, I see your in Waterford. One place that carries a lot of that kinda stuff is K-D Sports, they're on M-59 between the north and south Williams Lake Rd intersections. I've also seen poppers and spiders at Gander Mountain, Meijer, Walmart and Dunhams. They're a pretty common and popular item this time of year! :)

[kbkrause]

anyone on this site sell poppers and spiders? or where else can one find these? Are they normally found in the the fly-fishing dept.s?

thanks

If your not familiar with this type of fishing and you're planning on using spinning gear, you'll prob want a casting bober to get the rubber spider out to the fish...

[Jigawhat]

cool. I'm familiar with K-D. Thanks.

I have a 5-wt fly rod, that I am still getting the hang of. Thought of giving that a shot out on the lake for practice. I've caught a few bass doing the same with nympths / streamers.

I know the lake I fish has a lot of bluegill and other panfish, as I can see them in the clear water recently. And we pulled quite a few through the ice this past winter. ;)

Have a couple ultrlight rods as well that I can try out as well. hmmm... "casting" bobber, whats the difference?

[Burksee]

...............hmmm... "casting" bobber, whats the difference?They're small (about 2 to 3"), weighted, cone shaped, eyelets on each end. The ones I have will allow you to be able to "target cast" a very small presentation quite a bit farther. Much like casting a body bait. When your at K-D's ask, they have them there. ;)

[Frozenfish]

Great posts guys, thanks for the tips. I have never fished for gills before on softwater. I'm sure that I'll be at K&D this week to load up on gear. Is there a limit to how many you can take on MI inland lakes? What is a minimum size that I should keep? anybody got any good gill recipe's that they want to share?

Fly rod, I haven't used that since I hooked myself in the lip years ago, LMFAO.....

[spiderman2]

I agree on the spiders and fly rod.I've cleaned about 200 gills so far this spring.My latest bluegill batter is get a big bag of cheese puffs,crush them fine,dip your fish in egg,and roll them in the cheese and in the hot oil and,get ready for some good eats.This has been tested on kids also,and it was thumbs up!;)

[Burksee]

.......Fly rod, I haven't used that since I hooked myself in the lip years ago, LMFAO.....I know how you feel. I gave up on the flyrod after I had hooked myself in the ear, the second time! :yikes:

BTW - As far as "keepers/keeping" I know of no size limit, I usually dont keep anything less than 7 to 8", just not much of a filet on anything smaller! ;)

I think the limit (amount) on gills is 25?

Check here: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/hook-line-regs_119614_7.pdf

[mich buckmaster]

My favorite way to catch bluegills is to use a bullet sinker above the hook a few feet and cast past the beds and use red wigglers. Pull the worm on top of the beds and they HAMMER IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those big males cant help it, they have to get that worm off the beds, I use a 10 foot St. Croix and they double my rod oll the way over!!!

I love it!!

[GVSUKUSH]

Fly rod and the smallest bead head fly stripped in fairly fast. They hammer it. This past weekend they wouldn't eat a waxworm for anything, but they killed the bead head. When the water warms up even more and they get real aggressive I use a small (1/80th ounce) white marabou jig tipped with a waxie reeled in just above the weedline or dropoff.

My beadheads are just the smallest hook I can find, a bead, some dark colored dubbing and maybe a tail if I'm in the mood. :) Takes all of a minute to tie.

[deputy865]

Over the years i alwasy have used live bait like worms and waxies and i have become a gill expert. Throw your favorite bright teardrop out there and tip it with a full live wax worm and have this under a small bobber (makes small fish seem bigger) and fore more fun make your drag ultra sesitive. As for rod and reel, somtimes i'll cast a ice fishing rod and reel and do it that way or i'll use by 5' UL ugly stik and with my micro shakespear reel.

Shane

if you have some other questions on gills ask me. (or the others) but i mostly target gills when i go fishing and i catch a lot each time out. :D
trying to make my self "the person to ask" about gills. :D I'm quite experienced.!!!

[Jigawhat]

cool, thanks Shane. Frozenfish and I are gonna give it a go tonight after work. He has a 5' UL and I'm going to try the fly rod with poppers and spiders. I'll let ya know how we do. Thanks again to all.

I've gotta try that Cheez puff recipe too! That sounds deeeeeee-lish!

[Krull]

One more vote for the small poppers and spiders. No better way for a novice to learn how to fly fish in my book, you get the action, you don't have to be exact with your casts, you have room for your backcast, plus a bluegill, sunfish or rock bass will put up a heck of a fight on a 5 weight flyrod. An added bonus this time of year, nothing attracts a big pike or bass quite like a blue gill struggling against a fly rod. It seems every year I am bringing a gill in this time of year and something savagely attacks it. Virtually impossible to get a good hook into the bigger fish, but what a thrill.

[Frozenfish]

Yup, I can't wait to get out there. I plan on using my UL, but also my fly rod. It is a little heavier I believe, havnen't used it in a long long time. I originally bought it for steelhead and salmon. But wouldn't mind to try it just to get the feel. If it is good then I'll have to buy a nice 4-6wt fly rod.

Getting a little more specific, what depths should we be looking for them in? Does anybody have an idea if they have started to spawn yet or is the water temp to low still?

mmmmmmmm......cheeeesssssy.......gillllll......... puffffsssss......mmmmmmmmm

[Krull]

I haven't been out yet for Gills yet this year but would guess that most waters around Waterford will have fish on the beds in the shallows with the recent wave of warmer weather. If they are out deeper chances are they wouldn't be too active yet. Good luck.

[subocto]

I havnt fished for gills yet this year, but until they are on the beds you will just catch lots of little ones. With a flyrod, I use nymphs and small weighted woolybuggers to get down a little deeper. I find that in the spring when water is still cool, small gills hang neerer to the surface and the bigger ones(the ones you want to catch) are just a couple feet deeper (like 4-6fow). But you have to be able to get your fly/worm past the little guys still intact in order to get the bigguns. It will be this way until the water warms a little and when they start defending their beds, then you can catch big ones off the surface on spiders and such. maybe the water is warm enough now, like i said i havent fished for them yet, and havent fished much at all in the past 2 weeks. GOOD LUCK!

[Frozenfish]

I will post an update to this thread tomorrow. Plan on fishing tonight and I'm sure a few days this week. Hopefully eating well also.....:)

[wyle_e_coyote]

My son and I have been out 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Water temps are still a little low for spawning, but we have taking a few good gills. Last time out we probably hooked 35 -40 fish and took home 12 over 7" with one nice male at 9 1/2". We had five hens that were developing row, so they will be on the beds soon.

[Frozenfish]

Well we got out to the boat last night and the battery kept losing juice. So we were only able to fish for about 20-30 mins. In that time we had a few nibbles, but nothing taken.

I have a question about casting bobbers. I was using a 5ft UL with a shamano 2000/6lb test. I had a small spider on the end of it with a agua bubble for a bobber. That bobber seems to work great (after I finally got the fricken line through it, with a paper clip). Anywho, using that bobber (if your familar with it) I filled it up with water to make it submerge a bit, which seemed to work great. But are you supposed to use a slow retrieve with it? Is that what a casting bobber is for? I know so you can cast a further distance, but I read another thread reel in slow, then half that speed. Any advice? IS there another casting bobber that is any better?

[flip69]

i've always just used a clear bubble bobber and twitch it so the spider moves just enough to make a little ripple on the water then pause for a couple seconds reel in the slack then repeat.

[deputy865]

What i do is i reel it a little, so the spider goes on an angle then slowly sways in under the bobber and goes straight. The fish hit usually after its done with its sway. Wait a bit............................................ Then do it again until your at the boat and cast and keep doing it, but use different speeds and presentation methods. I'll try to get out fishin' today after school and see how i do, but only if it warms up! :( .

Shane

[kroppe]

Another vote for waxworms (or crickets) under a small bobber. Add one medium-small splitshot and your good to go.