John's Journal...

BOATHOUSE BLUEGILLS

Click to enlargeBedding Boathouse Bluegills

Editor’s Note: Anglers know boathouse bream may be the most-educated panfish in any reservoir, but May and June generally are the most-productive times of the year to fish for bream. Little bluegills often will run in and hit any baits that fall in the water. But the larger, older gills usually will stay just below or off to one side of a school of small fish and observe what happens when the smaller fish feed. Generally if big bluegills are present in a boathouse, and little fish are in that same area, the smaller bluegills will get caught, and the trophy-sized fish won’t. If you want to succeed in Click to enlargecatching the boathouse bluegills that have tantalized others and escaped the skillet, try these different strategies. They will produce for you.

Depending on the depth of the water and the type of bottom in or near the boathouse, often bluegills will bed under or on the backside of a boathouse. Because they’re easy to see, these panfish are harassed, often daily, by anglers, especially if the fish can be cast to from the boathouse. These bluegills are the ones that can drive anglers crazy. They’re Click to enlargelarge, and anglers can see them, but the fish won’t bite. However, there’s a method that helps to catch these cantankerous fish.

Bluegills hate crawfish, especially little crawfish, the ones about 2- to 3-inches long. Anglers can use the tiniest crawfish, like Spike-It’s 1.5-inch Baby Craw in black neon, gold glitter, green whiskey, Junebug or huckleberry colors or the 1/16-ounce Spike-It Superfly to put on a hook to catch bluegills. Probably bluegills never have seen these colors of crawfish or flies. Too, you can spray the Baby Craw with Spike-It’s Aerosol Fish Attractant in either Crawfish or Gamefish flavors. Start by hooking the Baby Craw through the tail with a small hook. About 10-inches up the line, attach a medium-sized shot lead to Click to enlarge4-pound-test line. Cast the line out to land the bait and the shot lead about 2 feet from the bream’s bed. Wear polarized sunglasses, watch the lead, pull it through the bed, and then let it rest on the outer edge of the bed. Most of the time, the bluegill will run away from its bed because of the lead or move off to the side of the bed and watch the lead come through its bed. After observing the lead for 30 seconds to 2 minutes and smelling the Spike-It Aerosol Fish Attractant on the bait, the fish will turn back, look into the bed and spot the Baby Craw or the tiny Superfly. At that point, the bluegill forgets all about the lead and attacks the bait. To make this tactic work, use an extremely-small hook.

Tomorrow: Taking Bluegills By Starlight



Check back each day this week for more about "Boathouse Bluegills"

Day 1: Learning from Boathouse Bluegills
Day 2: Understanding Boathouse Bluegills
Day 3: Utilizing Other Fishermen
Day 4: Bedding Boathouse Bluegills
Day 5: Taking Bluegills by Starlight

 

Entry 352, Day 4