Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

        Johnny Wilkins Chicago Urban Fishing School pod-cast has intrigued me to try a new type of fishing.  If you don't know who he his, here is a brief overview.  He is a bank fisherman.  He has fished for team USA in three world championships located around the world.  His pod-cast tells how big-box stores have forgotten the live bait fisherman by providing crap hooks, crap split shot, over sized hooks, and crap floats(bobbers).  The tackle he uses is, waggler floats, Anchor brand split shots, hooks the size of your pinky nail( size 14,18, and size 8 max), 2lb, 3lb, 4lb, main line with a hook leader that is 10-20% lighter than the main line.  He also uses different size poles(not rods) all the way up to 42 ft. in length,  He also says how 10, 11, and 12  foot light spinning rods are ideal for urban lakes that have all the big bass stripped out of them.  One more snippet from his pod-cast, a great fisherman will never hear the fish pull drag, but instead use the selectable ant-reverse switch to give the fish line when it runs.

        Here is my Conclusion.  I am looking for a 12 ft. minimum length spinning rod with the ability to cast 2lb. line.  A reel that matches and does not get spooled out with occasional urban lunker.  What do you guys think?

 

         

Views: 316

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Are you truly wanting to "cast" that 12 footer, or simply swing the bait out?

WOW that's a tuff one Peter !!!!!!!!! Of course I'm limited my self to Ultra light spinning or fly gear. Don't know or have ever heard of an american company that makes that kind of gear. I spose if you found some it would likely be from Europe because of the match fishing they do there with ultra small hooks and wiggle bobbers and longggggggggggggg rods. I"m sure if you really checked the internet you would come up with some, but shipping from Europe to here would really be expensive and so forth.

   You'd be best suited to find an American company that imports the stuff for sure....

peter  on the floats;;  a lot of us here use some real old type floats;; called porcupine quill floats.  we have found; that these are proably the best stealth float ever made.  once balanced right;;  no fish can try to take your bait; without you knowing it!  and generally;; we make them up ourselves!  get some quills;  on line;;try to get the ones in a 7 inch or so range;; and take a paper clip;  to make the loop your line goes thru.  its also held by a :o" ring.. really super easy to make and use.  I have some pix of mine on my page if you care to look.                                                                                                             but that type of rod-- buddy I have no idea on it- sorry.

Peter, I make custom rods and specialize in longer live-bait rods for bluegill.  I just made a 9' super-UL spinning rod for a bluegill nut in Louisiana.  That rod was made on a 2-weight fly rod blank from a company in New Zealand.  I'll send you a friend request - PM me if you're interested.  

For floats, the Gapen company out of Minnesota makes a series called panfish floats that to me is light years better than any other float available in this country for bluegill.  It's super-sensitive but also casts very well without added weight, and sometimes a no-weight presentation makes the difference between catching and not catching fish.  Gapen imports these floats from Hungary and once you fish them you'll see why.

Gapen offers some killer floats. Some of my favorite off-the-shelf pieces.

Peter

You have a couple of different concepts in play . Pole fishing is especially powerful . Light lines / small floats  and small hooks allow for near perfect bait placement. The concept is a near vertical presentation with no drag and no line in the water.

I've used 16 foot crappie rods in the same manner. No casting , just a small fly reel to hold the line. A simple vertical drop, no casting.  

Not sure if that's what your looking for but the presentation works and is finesse fishing at it's simplest.

RSS

Latest Activity

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

Picked up Several Nice Yellow Perch Shallow…..4/29/2025

"Thanks John….never get tired of quality perch bites…"
9 hours ago
John Sheehan posted photos
17 hours ago
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
17 hours ago
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

493726391_10238746707466370_4942384414329687790_n

"Good job ,Jeff! The ones I caught were probably in 5-6 ' but long cast from shore. These…"
18 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Picked up Several Nice Yellow Perch Shallow…..4/29/2025

Also caught two nice white perch shallow also…
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Dock Crappie…..4/29/2025

We had blue skies with 81 degrees…strong southwest wind but our water was still blown out from the…
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"It was still windy but a friend and I splashed this afternoon, nice mixed bag ….low water at 70 degree surface temperatures…good times…"
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

493726391_10238746707466370_4942384414329687790_n

"Nice John….I caught several white perch this afternoon very shallow…"
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Troy Dorman's photo
Thumbnail

1000003851

"Pretty specimen Troy!"
Monday
John Sheehan commented on Troy Dorman's photo
Thumbnail

1000003857

"Posting some nice Fish, Troy!"
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

492222666_10238698533862060_5336729201480880262_n

"Fish are flopping around like its July up here and we haven't seen May yet! Very weird year!"
Sunday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Troy Dorman's photo
Thumbnail

1000003857

"I can just taste the fillets!"
Sunday
Troy Dorman posted photos
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Saturday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

491348751_10238683890455984_2672104245638727985_n

"Yes and very aggressive that Day!"
Saturday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Saturday
John Sheehan replied to Bruce Tomaselli's discussion Unable to Log in
"No idea ,Bruce . It doesn't happen from my end! Hope it gets straightened out for you ."
Saturday

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service