John's Journal...

BOATHOUSE BLUEGILLS

Click to enlargeTaking Bluegills by Starlight

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 months 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 Click to enlargesucceed in catching the boathouse bluegills that have tantalized others and escaped the skillet, try these different strategies. They will produce for you.

Boathouse bluegills pattern anglers like bass fishermen pattern bass. If the big boathouse bluegills receive a lot of fishing pressure during the day, many times anglers won’t be able to catch them until after dark. If anglers fish by starlight, the most-important key to success is to set the bobber (many fishermen like a lighted bobber to indicate the strike) and put the float up Click to enlargethe line. Then spray the bait with Spike-It’s Aerosol Fish Attractant in either the Crawfish or Gamefish flavors. When the bait is lying on the bottom, 6 or 7 inches of line also will be on the bottom. Suspending the bait off the bottom rarely produces smart, boathouse bluegills, but by allowing the bait to free-fall to the bottom, even at night, anglers are presenting the bait more naturally to the fish. The chances of taking a very-large bluegill are now much better.

Click to enlargeCast the cork to the area where the bluegill is holding, and then wait, listen, and feel. Hold the line between your index finger and thumb, listen for the cork to sink, and just in case there’s no sound, feel the fish take off line while holding the line. Once the angler either hears or feels the fish bite, he can set the hook, and usually catch the fish. The key to catching boathouse bluegills is to learn why other people haven’t caught them already. Don’t continue to use the same tactics that haven’t produced those fish in the past.

 



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 5