Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

Any fellow Californians getting any early season Bluegills or Redears yet?  Won't be long now for the pre-spawn bite!

Views: 1036

Attachments:

Replies to This Discussion

Thanks for the info!

If you live in the OC areas, you might want to consider in hitting Lake Skinner to save a bit of gas. Good grief man, that's a heck of a drive just to hunt for gills. Skinner don't allow floats, but you can still hammer them from shore, or on the rental boat. Lake Irvine is also known for the awesome crappie action during spring and summer time. If you're up in the mountain for a weekends get away, Big Bear Lake and Silverwood are known for the hidden monsters. You just have to battle with boaters and wind.

I don't mind driving.  I've been to Skinner twice but didn't get any gills since I was targeting stripers.  Maybe I'll hit Skinner this summer as well. 

Nice! When we lived in San Jose, we used to get to fish Bethany when we could, and sometimes shore-fished Italian Slough at Clifton Court, but never caught anything big.  15-20 feet, I guess you're using a boat?

Used to like to go to the Bass Pro Shops in Manteca, too. Now, my nearest BPS is 105 miles away, in Rancho Cucamonga.

Just short of 11 inches caught on a cricket. From puddingstone lake.
Attachments:

Great catch. Looks like the Pudd is firing up for the summer. Perris has been going wild as the water level drops.

Hi guys, been awhile since I've been on the BBG. I'm coming down to San Diego April 22 for the week. Thinking of trying my hand at some gill fishing while down there.Kinda curios where the fish would be at in their yearly patterns.Up here in Wi they'd be shallow not even ready to spawn yet. However I would think they'd well be done with spawning in Cali.Just looking for some general info on how I should approach fishing them at this time of year.Not looking to keep anything just would love a chance at some of those trophy sized panfish.Would be willing to rent a boat or shore fish whichever would get me a better chance at catching some.Thinking of possibly I trying at MirMar or something in that vicinity thanks for any help with any direction towards the pursuit of some hefty panniers.

Ahhh yes..California's craziness. Early heat brings out the best of everything. If you can manage to find a nice fresh water body that has not been affected by the drought.

Colors:

yellow (main) - black (secondary as stripes)

yellow(main) - red (secondary)

dark green (main) - black (secondary)

dark green (main) - dark yellow (secondary)

dark red, close to vermillion (main) - black with sparkly silver (secondary)

Patterns: 

Wooly (slow sinker)

Bees (surface dry, subsurface slow sink, maintain less than 3ft below surface), or 7ft off the bottom of deep areas)

Beatles (black, surface dry, as as bees)

Best rigs:

Drop-shot, 2ft from bottom with live worms/crickets for gills/coppernose/bass, near shallow.

Texas, chasing after bottom monsters.

Spoons and rooster tails (yellow-black, yellow-red, chartreuse-black) are deadly subsurface.

Thanks Leo truly appreciated so it looks like yellow jigs.Dont how long it will be after their spawn but I will be excited to try fish or no fish.Any possibility of finding lake topo maps.Guess I'll try to google it and see what I come up with.

Clearlake crappie were on fire a couple weeks ago and haven't been back since. Baitfish immi's were doing the trick just fine.

       ....lee s.

RSS

Latest Activity

Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Under a Dock….6/21/2025

"Appreciate it John…..fish was very shallow roaming looking for herring fry……."
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Under a Dock….6/21/2025

"Thanks Bruce…..these fish grow well on the available forage, crabs, shrimp, herring, shad…"
Tuesday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Tuesday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Under a Dock….6/21/2025

"Biggest perch I've ever seen."
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Under a Dock….6/21/2025

"And this one is producing a lot of eggs for the future.."
Monday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Another Male With the Copper Mask…..6/22/2025

"Thanks Dick….I’m always amazed at our local populations of Coppernose….."
Monday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Monday
dick tabbert commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Under a Dock….6/21/2025

"looks like some good genetics there."
Monday
dick tabbert commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Monday
dick tabbert commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Monday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Beautiful Grape Faced Male Coppernose…..6/22/2025

"Thanks Bruce…..we are blessed to have such a huge population of Coppernose in northeast…"
Monday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Monday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Monday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Monday
John Sheehan posted a photo

Colorado Spinner gets 3 species

So far this year, this little cost-effective Colorado spinner has gotten many a Bluegill as well as…
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"Joe and I got in a morning trip ahead of the heat wave….a mix of 64 fish with mostly Coppernose in a sandy creek channel…..82 degree water…"
Saturday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

Colorado Spinner gets 3 species

"Sorry Bruce! A before Coffee reply to your question was addressed to Dick! Giving these Colorado…"
Jun 20

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service