what kind of set up do you guys use to catch bluegill

[Pedro Hernandez]

Just wondering what kind of set up people use to catch bluegill. generally im a shore fisherman, but recently got into float tubing. i use just night crawlers with a bobber but was wondering if i should use another technique while float tubing.

[Allen Morgan]

I do a lot of bank-fishing and wade-fishing.  I also have and use a kayak, although this year I haven't gotten out much.

We are truly lucky that a lot of Sunfish aren't really that picky.  The truly big ones are, but with light gear, even smaller fish are fun.

I got into fly fishing about two months ago.  I still use other gear and techniques, especially for panfish.  Do some reading, the older threads on the forum, older blog posts, etc.

[Jason Preslar]

the set up your using will work fine; lots of times though ill fish without a float and maybe put a small split shot above the nightcrawler maybe about 10" or so; let it sink move it a little here and there; if there are fish down there they will hit it; also small lures and gulp minnows and gulp crickets work good for panfish; good luck

[Vince Fusco]

I fish a small (1/32 oz. and smaller) plain jig head with a red wiggler as bait. No bobbers, just the jig and my line. I cast it out, and slowly hop it back across the bottom. Hope this helps you Pedro. 

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

The favorite fish for me is the red-ear, or shellcracker. They are predominantly bottom feeders, their diet consisting of snails, invertebrates and mollusks. I've caught them on bobbers right in tree branches, but not often. The bigger ones are in deeper water and near some structure.

So, when possible I take it to 'em in my fishing kayak. I fish the deep edges of channels and channel intersections, underwater humps and flats near channels, deep submerged wood and rocks etc. I use a 1/4-1/2 oz slip sinker, above a small barrel swivel. To the swivel I tie an 18" leader of 4 # fluorocarbon and a #6 Aberdeen or Sproat hook. I bait with a juicy earthworm.

This rig is cast to the bottom and allowed to rest for a few minutes. If not takes occur I lift and move it about 10 feet. I dont sit in one spot for long, moving to another if there is no action within 20-30 minutes. These fish often move around in warm weather and sometimes you have to go find them.

When fishing from shore, I usually cast this same rig to the nearest deep water. Meanwhile I fish a small slip bobber to the deep side of any cover/structure, aiming for about 4-7 feet  of depth. Here I use a #8-#6 hook and almost no weight, worms for bait. This is for bluegill.

Another tactic that has been catching some good sized bluegill lately is small weedless spoons. In this case, it's a Johnson 'Silver Minnow' with the twisty tail section cut from a 1.5" soft plastic grub as a trailer. I fish these slowly around any downed tree or weeds I can find.