Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

gillbum here,

I fish strictly with trout flies for gills using the same flies as I did for trout. Here in upstate New York, the gill fishing is just getting hot about the time trout fishing is winding down. Like right about now and throughout the hot part of summer. I use the same wet and dry flies I use for trout. My favorite wets are colorful types and old standbys like Professors, Grizzly Kings, etc. When I fish dries I mostly use Royal Wulffs, Yellow Sally's and other bright, attractor patterns like those, but over the years I've discovered that gills aren't really all that fussy. What are some of your favorite flies and/or poppers?

gillbum

Views: 360

Replies to This Discussion

Boogle Bullets, Micro Me Poppers are some of my favorite topwaters for bluegill. A bit more expensive than betts poppers but I like them because they are very durable. I also tie some of my own and I agree I don't find the bluegill to be very fussy about what they eat, if it looks like a bug, it will do the job.
i fish trout flies for gills also,i use a lot of Bill Everhardt's yellowhammer patterns,two of my best producers are his yellowhammer nymph and his sheep fly .
i also fish a lot of leggy sinking spiders,and dragon nymphs,i also tie an estaz shrimp that workes well on chinks(red ear).
i love the betts poppers!!! they caught me the biggest gill of my life. also i like using the Adams parachute
my favorite is this wierd little popper i got at a fishing camp and nailed a 8 1/2-9 incher on
it white and fat but kinda of pointy so more of a slider.
ftb95
For most of the water I fish, I like these: #12-14 Royal Wulff, #18 Griffith's Gnat, #10 popper (mostly black-over-chartreuse or white with black spots), #10 black Wooly Bugger, #12-14 yellow nymph, #12 Parachute Adams and Irresistable, #12 Green Paradrake. Wish I could remember where I got the yellow nymph 'cause the gills hit that when they ignore everything else, but I can't find the proper name for it. Think of a Pheasant Tail with yellow body and no legs. I may have to resort to tying them myself. :-D

RSS

Latest Activity

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

Sunrise Shellcracker…..7/23/2025

"I love your kind of fishing!"
2 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Sunrise Shellcracker…..7/23/2025

"I’m very fortunate that the fishing  in coastal North Carolina is so great and most…"
4 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

JULYWP

"Summer colors on this white perch!"
4 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

JULYP

"Nice Yellow John….good colors"
4 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"Often bass fisherman will catch Warmouth on 9” worms……..they. don’t fight…"
4 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"This is a great comparison John…..I added another photo to give perspective….."
4 hours ago
John Sheehan posted photos
9 hours ago
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Sunrise Shellcracker…..7/23/2025

"I sure envy you, enjoy!"
11 hours ago
John Sheehan replied to Jeffrey D. Abney's discussion Panfish Species of North America- Which Ones Have You Caught?
"Hey Jeffrey! Does the Warmouth have about the same sized Mouth as a Black Crappie of equal size, or…"
yesterday
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

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service