Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

I was noodling around on ebay recently and got ten of these spoons for $20.

They are the small, 1/8 oz size, in silver. The Johnson Minnow is an old school lure, first seen in the early 1920's. It was maybe the first successful "weedless" spoon, and is generally thought of as a surface bass lure. It is often coupled with a curly tail jig body, plastic twister worm, or pork rind trailer for the purist.

So, last season I got into another vintage lure, right, "The Super Duper." I caught several nice fish with it. The super duper is a traditional trout lure, but caught the local bass with ease.

So I was wondering, does anyone use the Johnson Minnow non-tradtionally - for bluegill fishing?

 

Views: 1174

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I haven't used the Johnson Minnow but got some Johnson beetle spins off ebay. Still gotta get too using them though. I know this other guy who is using the Super Duper with good success at Perris.  He has caught Bass, bluegill, redear and even a small catfish on it.
I found some super dupers in my dads tackle box. I had never seen them before that day.
First time I tried one I hung a nice large mouth. I bought about ten off ebay after that.
I also have a mess of Beetle Spins, both complete and with out jigs... I can mix and match how I want.
He also had some Johnson Minnows, which look great in the water! I like the older lures, the time tested stuff.
I've got one of those 1/8 oz Johnson Silver Minnow weedless spoons that I bought probably 20 years ago, but I've never gave it a good try on Bluegill.  I have caught small bass on it, and it looks like a good crappie lure, maybe next spring when the BGs at our local lake are hitting spoons good, I'll give it a go.
My one issue is they are light... not long on casting and maybe not great for depth
I don't know that, of course. They may work great.

At ice out in early/mid March this year I used the smallest Johnson spoon and glued a Mister Twister shad to it and it caught several nice Yellow Perch and a nice white perch .Tipping with the shad added weight to it and casted well with a light action crappie rod.The hook is not a good size for Gills as much as Perch .The lure should work well on Crappie too!http://bigbluegill.com/photo/march-11-cupsaw-slip-floating-397?cont...

http://bigbluegill.com/photo/march-11-cupsaw-slip-floating-243?cont...

 http://bigbluegill.com/photo/march-11-cupsaw-slip-floating-243/next...

The bigger 1/4oz -1/2 oz work great on Bass and Pickerel.I like glueing a tube jig to it .Caught some nice Pickerel up to about 22 " in some small ponds the past few years that way.

 

 I have some super dupers and never used them .I was thinking they'd be good through the ice.The small ones have good sized hooks for gills.

You make a great "point" about the hook (pun intended). Im thinking maybe I can bend the hook back and down to reduce the gap, and so make it smaller. I'll give that a shot.

Using some sort of trailer is very common with the 'ol Johnson Minnow. As I've said, a pork skin wiggle tail is the traditional favorite. But almost anything that undulates and adds life can be used.

 

As for the Super Duper, I tie them on with a Rapala knot. I use the same knot with spoons, too, like Johnson's Minnow and most all lures that wiggle and wobble. The Rapala knot is really stopped loop, and lets the lures action work freely. They are enticing in the water from my point of view and they cast well. Youre right, too... the 501 size is about right for gill.

I 'm thinking you'll break the solder hold on the hook if you bend it down but maybe not. I gotta get that Rapala knot down again!

I was able to bend the hook, netting about a 20% smaller hook gap.

The new "bent" hook is a few millimeters longer with a narrower gap than an unbent hook. It compares to something around #6 or #8. It was tricky, as the hook itself is made of very stiff steel. I had to be careful to bend the hook, and not put stress on the solder joint, as you suggest.

The slightly longer hook may help with short strikes, and it will still catch fish. As for bluegill, I won't be surprised if this winds up in the box with all the other "Good Ideas That Didn't Really Pan Out."

Hope it works David!

RSS

Latest Activity

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

Nesting Pair of Ospreys......

"Yeah most nests are not this close to the water and this river is remote with alligators and large…"
yesterday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Nesting Pair of Ospreys......

"Guess the Osprey knew it was a great spot too. The Cormorants up here are murder on the stocked…"
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Nesting Pair of Ospreys......

"This was a great fishing spot for me until the osprey nested……I’ve seen chicks…"
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

So many spots to place your bait...

"These cypress trees are now in the water….still producing great fishing…"
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

The big Cypress downed by a Hurricane.....

"This is a good example John…..I posted this picture in 2012 and a couple weeks ago I caught…"
yesterday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Found a Few Hibiscus not Quite Bloomed…..7/5/2025

"Thanks John…..being in the south we’re always drawn to cypress trees and the…"
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Found a Few Hibiscus not Quite Bloomed…..7/5/2025

"Nice info, Jeffrey! Up here my main Crappie habits have been wood cover near deep water and willow…"
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

My Dad Doesn't know Where to Cast Next.......

"This is my dad who loved fishing…..this cove is similar to the one with all cattails but in…"
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Found a Few Hibiscus not Quite Bloomed…..7/5/2025

"I think all fresh water fish like to relate to cattails…..the most cattails I’ve ever…"
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Found a Few Hibiscus not Quite Bloomed…..7/5/2025

"Up here the Pickerel can be found by Cattails and other tall reed areas. The first spawning…"
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Found a Few Hibiscus not Quite Bloomed…..7/5/2025

This is always a great spot with cypress, cattails and now a blooming hibiscus..next time I’m there…
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Fish Attractant in the Coastal N.C. Marsh…..7/4/2025

"Thanks John…anytime you get close to them there’s hundreds of different insects…"
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Joe Struck Copper on a Sand Bar….7/5/2025

The wind was building on the main river so we splashed back to the ramp after 42 gills, 1 bullhead…
Saturday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Fish Attractant in the Coastal N.C. Marsh…..7/4/2025

"Good work on finding fish habitat!"
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Pretty Masked Copper Shallow ……7/5/2025

Preparing for next week’s buck moon on 7/10……
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"Up early this morning, heard we were going to have a tropical storm in the Carolina’s…so Joe and I went and burned some crickets…"
Saturday

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service