what bait or lure should begininger winter bluegill anglers use

[joshua malique plummer]

what are some of the best lures or bait for bluegill in the winter. cause when i always go fishing for bluegill its live bait all year around. and how deep should i fish use a bobber or should i just fish off the bottom or fish with lures like popper, or a jig. if you have any tips for catch bluegill in the winter just please comment.

[Tony Livingston]

Hi Joshua....I agree with what Jeffrey said...I do better in the winter when I downsize my baits, and I am a big fan of tipping an artificial ice jig with a little live bait...I prefer spikes, or maggots. Once the water temps fall into the low 40's, I no longer take fish on the surface, rather I find them deeper. You could fish on the bottom, but bites from cold water BG are sometimes very light and sluggish, and I'm afraid you would miss some fish using that method.

Most winter anglers use some type of float, or spring bobber, or they tightline down a hole in the ice....just some way to maintain contact with your bait, and register the lightest "take".

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Hey Joshua and welcome to BBG.com and interestingly enough the members here always debate about cold water applications but much can be learned from the folks that catch fish in cold water...Like Georgia, northeast North Carolina has no ice fishing so I'm left to fish open cold water during the winter months......The most significant advice is size down your bait as small as possible, that includes hooks, jigs, sinkers and floats when possible.....

Here are a few examples that I have used successfully during December Joshua in water between 47 to 54 degrees for some decent bluegills.......The problem with bottom fishing in my opinion would be the lighter bites that occur this time of year would be almost undetectable......even under a float yesterday many of the 18 fish I caught didn't take the small float under it just moved a little and I would set the hook accordingly...I too use live bait all year but in cold water just a little piece of worm or a tiny grass shrimp is all that's needed to entice a fish......Good Luck