River Bluegill

[chuck pool]

guys there are 3 rivers near me the ark river white and little red never thought about trying them for bluegill what are your thoughts on river fishing for bluegill?

thanks

[Allen Morgan]

Look for backwater areas, side channels, etc.  Weeds are a plus.  Really low water conditions will helps as well.

I lived in the Tulsa area until Nov. last year.  I fished the Arkansas River frequently, and would run into various sunfish species in the river, but only in low water conditions.  You're further down-river, and many other rivers dump into the Arkansas between where I was and where you are; plus it's managed by the Corps of Engineers for barge traffic.  "Low water" might not be possible.  However, backwater areas where they park barges might be.

[carl hendrix]

CHUCK; IN MY AREA;  THIS TIME OF YEAR;; A HIGH STEEP BANK PRODUCES MORE BLUE GILLS FOR ME;; FISHING ABOUT 15 TO 20 FEET FROM THE BANK; DEEP WATER AND DRIFTING ALONG;; FISHING DEEP !!

[John Sheehan]

Ice out gills , I agree ,Carl, steep bank with rock crevices to hide in.

[chuck pool]

guess river fishing is a bad ideal.

[Allen Morgan]

Don't make any judgements until you fish it!

I made the comments about the river I used to fish, based on my experience.  That river, in that particular spot, was about 300 yards wide, and varied in depth from knee deep to chest-deep, and that was at "low flow", when the dam upstream wasn't generating.  No cover.  Structure was limited.  Not to mention the BIG predators when the water was flowing.  Gar 5' long, LMBs over 5 lbs, Stripers up to 20 lbs, Flatheads up to who knows how big, big Blue Cats (did battle with one that would have been between 50 and 80 lbs), etc.  ALL of those will eat sunfish.

Now I'm in Michigan.  Where I live is basically the headwaters area for all the rivers that flow out of the lower part of the state.  One of the longest rivers in the state flows past my house in a few different areas, and varies from 8 - 20' wide, and probably only knee-deep at best.  That "river" is probably chock-full of sunnies.  I know I'll find out this summer :)

[carl hendrix]

Chuck; you give up to easy buddy;; river fishing is  not hard at all;; just needs to be; explored and studied.. fish around drop -offs; ledges; brush piles; wood  structures  weed beds;  every place can hold descent fish !

[jim cosgrove]

depends on whether there is a lot of current,i catch the occasional green sunfish or warmouth in the streams and small rivers when looking for smallmouths or rock bass.but i am not looking for sunfish in these rocky faster water areas.have caught crappies in rivers but way out of the current.i am sure bluegills and other sunfish are present in these waters but i just dont see them thriving in high current areas.i do know to the west of me the mississippi river back waters are full of good sized gills and crappies but are only easy to access for ice fishing.i know of back waters on other rivers that hold fish too but no way to walk in or get a boat back in there either.maybe a kayak?

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Find the backwater  , old sloughs , and oxbows, then when you find fish they will be big ones.  LOFR