Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?



Hi everyone,
Just got home from a belated Father's Day trip at Lake of The Ozarks, here in Missouri. Spent the last three days with family and snuck out early (4:30 am.!) each morning to do some fishing. Nothing like motoring to your favorite fishing spot under the cover of darkness and a full moon!

Ty and I fished for Hybrids early in the morning, using 5" swimbaits, in a shad color pattern. Each morning we arrived at our spot a little early, but knew when 5:30am came around the fish would show up, and they did.

Is was so exciting seeing a school of Hybrids chase a lone shad to the surface. Then watch the shad walk on water with just the tip of his tail, in an effort to try and avoid being eaten, as the water boiled beneath him. A fresh live shad is to freshwater, same as a shrimp is to the ocean. Everything wants to eat them.

While we were using artificial baits that simulate a real shad, there's nothing like the real thing. Problem is that they are scattered right now and hard to locate. However this morning, a boat pulled up as I was reeling in a hybrid which I had just caught. These guys were in a nice Skeeter saltwater Bay boat, which happened to have a shad tank on board. They had just come back from getting shad, and after a brief conversation with them, they offered to give me a few. I couldn't resist.

I already had two 7' spinning rods with braided line and Owner Mutu circle hooks on them. I filled my front livewell with water and placed the shad inside. I took one of the shad out and carefully placed a hook thru the top of its back, halfway between the top and back fins, so it could swim around looking natural. No weight....just a live shad on a hook. Carefully pitched the bait in the water, opened the bail and let out approximately 20 feet of line, then closed the bail shut. Wasn't long before my rod was bent in half, by the weight of a good fish. He took off like a freight train, with several long bursts that sent my drag screaming. Got him in and it was one of the biggest fish of the trip!

I always keep a casting net stored inside my boat, so that if I see shad, I can get them. But I have to confess: I need practice throwing the net, so if anyone has some good tips for me I'd welcome them!

Ty even caught a nice largemouth on topwater and a Channel Catfish off the deck at the condo using a Wade's Blade and waxworm!

Till next time......

Tight Lines,

Greg












Views: 76

Comment

You need to be a member of Bluegill - Big Bluegill to add comments!

Join Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Comment by Greg Wade on June 28, 2010 at 6:01pm
Thanks Tom! I'll check it out.
Comment by Tom Beauchamp on June 28, 2010 at 6:14am
Check out how to throw a cast net on you tube.

Latest Activity

Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"Some quality Warmouth I caught in my early years on the Albemarle….."
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"Thanks for sharing John……you have patterned your available species pretty good over…"
Wednesday
John Sheehan replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"Only caught five of these Species up here in New Jersey. Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Red Breasted…"
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Crackers Saved This Morning Behind A Cold Front…..7/23/2025

If I get out the remainder of July it will probably be a crappie stalk on the coastal marsh……
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"Slow Moving Cold Front Went Through Overnight and Shifted the Wind to the North so our rivers were dumped, but we wanted to go anyway…."
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"There’s multiple variations in the Spotted Sunfish….in Louisiana the Red Spotted…"
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"Growing up in Louisiana into a fishing family I got many introductions to the Sportsman’s…"
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"I have personally caught 11 of the 12 panfish featured in this discussion. I have never lived in…"
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a discussion
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Monday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Monday
DAVID L EITUTIS commented on DAVID L EITUTIS's photo
Thumbnail

THIS COLOR COMBINATION SEEMS TO WORK THIS YEAR

"Yup blue and white is an essential with my oldest son......."
Monday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"My glass boat is going to the shop tomorrow, need an ignition system tune up, figured I would give it up during this extended heat wave.."
Sunday

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service