what is the best bait for bluegill?? - Bluegill - Big Bluegill2024-03-28T17:24:23Zhttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/forum/topics/what-is-the-best-bait-for-bluegill?commentId=2036984%3AComment%3A402648&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI find wax worms great early…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-26:2036984:Comment:4026482013-06-26T21:36:41.909ZGeorge Hedgepethhttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/GeorgeHedgepeth
<p>I find wax worms great early on, but by this time of year crawlers start to produce better.</p>
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<p>I find wax worms great early on, but by this time of year crawlers start to produce better.</p>
<p></p> Have to say I'm a cricket man…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-25:2036984:Comment:4022212013-06-25T11:42:06.383Zchristopher Mark Spiveyhttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/christopherMarkSpivey
<p>Have to say I'm a cricket man myself.</p>
<p>Have to say I'm a cricket man myself.</p> Wow.....that's a loaded quest…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-24:2036984:Comment:4018872013-06-24T13:30:01.843ZJason Preslarhttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/jasonpreslar
<p>Wow.....that's a loaded question for sure.....</p>
<p>In my opinion, the best baits/lures vary from one body of water to the next.....take your most productive lures and baits and try them out in different places.....sometimes my favorite tactics don't work that great at some places.....</p>
<p>Nightcrawlers/crickets/grasshoppers are phenomenal most of the time when dealing with live bait.....</p>
<p>Rebel's Crickpopper and some of the small Rapala Cranks are great too.....grubs and jigs are…</p>
<p>Wow.....that's a loaded question for sure.....</p>
<p>In my opinion, the best baits/lures vary from one body of water to the next.....take your most productive lures and baits and try them out in different places.....sometimes my favorite tactics don't work that great at some places.....</p>
<p>Nightcrawlers/crickets/grasshoppers are phenomenal most of the time when dealing with live bait.....</p>
<p>Rebel's Crickpopper and some of the small Rapala Cranks are great too.....grubs and jigs are great also....</p> Conventional - worm on a jig…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-21:2036984:Comment:4006042013-06-21T04:35:38.033ZPowder Riverhttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/PowderRiver
<p>Conventional - worm on a jig under a bobber.</p>
<p>Fly fishing - wooly bugger.</p>
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<p>Conventional - worm on a jig under a bobber.</p>
<p>Fly fishing - wooly bugger.</p>
<p> </p> To be honest, I haven't fishe…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-17:2036984:Comment:3986742013-06-17T01:30:50.452ZPaul Adamshttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/PaulAdams116
<p>To be honest, I haven't fished with bait for a long time. However I was fortunate to learn how to fish from my dad, who fished nothing else but bait. He was a bluegill specialist, and far and away, hands down, the bait of choice was catalpa worms. I still remember driving back country roads to find a chewed upon catalpa tree. </p>
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<p>We also fished wild caught crickets, along with red worms and pieces of nightcrawlers, but when they were available, he fished nothing else but the…</p>
<p>To be honest, I haven't fished with bait for a long time. However I was fortunate to learn how to fish from my dad, who fished nothing else but bait. He was a bluegill specialist, and far and away, hands down, the bait of choice was catalpa worms. I still remember driving back country roads to find a chewed upon catalpa tree. </p>
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<p>We also fished wild caught crickets, along with red worms and pieces of nightcrawlers, but when they were available, he fished nothing else but the catalpa worms.</p> Tanks for the kind words, Bil…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-14:2036984:Comment:3976652013-06-14T22:02:39.593ZDavid, aka, "McScruff"https://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/david553
Tanks for the kind words, Bill. But compared to most of these other guys, I couldn't catch a fish in a barrel.<br />
As for worms, I'm a bit rebellious. I don't buy many, I gather most of them from around my rural home.<br />
There is an elderly man near me who sells worms and I will buy from him. But I do it to help put a little green in his pocket, more than anything.<br />
For panfish, I prefer a smaller worm. Red wigglers are popular here (Lake Murray, SC). I would recommend those. They are right sized for…
Tanks for the kind words, Bill. But compared to most of these other guys, I couldn't catch a fish in a barrel.<br />
As for worms, I'm a bit rebellious. I don't buy many, I gather most of them from around my rural home.<br />
There is an elderly man near me who sells worms and I will buy from him. But I do it to help put a little green in his pocket, more than anything.<br />
For panfish, I prefer a smaller worm. Red wigglers are popular here (Lake Murray, SC). I would recommend those. They are right sized for bluegill, and are “warm" worms. This means they can thrive at room temp up to about 85 degrees, so no special handling is needed.<br />
<br />
some of those I collect are real whoppers, 5-6", so I generally snip those in half. I also favor a slightly larger hook than most, a #6 baitholder. These are chunky hooks that don't get swallowed readily.AND which preselect for larger fish, since the little ones have a hard time getting them in their mouths.l They also hold the worm all the way up the hook shank. This helps hide the hook from the peering eyes of wary slab 'gill. There may be another reason b…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-12:2036984:Comment:3969242013-06-12T18:50:30.529ZDavid, aka, "McScruff"https://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/david553
There may be another reason beyond pressure that accounts for fewer massive gills in public waters than we wouldn't like: most anglers don't know their quarry.<br />
The bluegill, like every other natural creature, is subject to life cycle variations. These primary follow the seasons.<br />
<br />
So, those big, bedding gills that seem to bite any "pretty" thing passing by, well...they soon disappear once the spawn us over. Those that DID fall victim to a well placed spinner or bait are gone, yes. But probably…
There may be another reason beyond pressure that accounts for fewer massive gills in public waters than we wouldn't like: most anglers don't know their quarry.<br />
The bluegill, like every other natural creature, is subject to life cycle variations. These primary follow the seasons.<br />
<br />
So, those big, bedding gills that seem to bite any "pretty" thing passing by, well...they soon disappear once the spawn us over. Those that DID fall victim to a well placed spinner or bait are gone, yes. But probably more than we know have moved to a new location, their "summer haunts," if you will.<br />
<br />
This takes into account other factors being equal, like adequate food, no toxins or poison, enough oxygen, etc. It is known that some waters, for many reasons, just hold few bragging size bluegill.<br />
<br />
Certainly a fishery with potential can be maxed out and, in theory, be utterly depleted. But I suspect most if the time...we just don't know where they are. THAT is the greatest challenge an angler faces. It isn't having the right reel, boat or sunglasses. Rather, it is finding the darned fish on any given day, place and time. Lori, you got the terminology…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-12:2036984:Comment:3967392013-06-12T15:58:23.856ZLeo Nguyenhttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/LeoNguyen
<p>Lori, you got the terminology down pretty good. It's a spinner. David is the master when it comes to spinner types.</p>
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<p>BGs are very fast learners. They may be come lure/bait shy, knowing what to observe and stay away from, once they're caught a few times. Otherwise, you may not have any in the lakes at all, or rather, population may have been thinned out so much that you're not hitting the right spots where they were. Electro shock the lakes to know the density the fish…</p>
<p>Lori, you got the terminology down pretty good. It's a spinner. David is the master when it comes to spinner types.</p>
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<p>BGs are very fast learners. They may be come lure/bait shy, knowing what to observe and stay away from, once they're caught a few times. Otherwise, you may not have any in the lakes at all, or rather, population may have been thinned out so much that you're not hitting the right spots where they were. Electro shock the lakes to know the density the fish population is the key.</p>
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<p>We have huge lakes over here, and BGs are everywhere. Fishing pressure for BGs are pretty high. However, once the banks are over pressured with fishing activity, the BGs migrate to other safer locations.</p> So far, I'm addicted to brigh…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-12:2036984:Comment:3967202013-06-12T12:39:39.056ZLori Rexrode Hallhttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/LoriRexrodeHall
<p>So far, I'm addicted to bright yellow jigs with a swivel or spinner (if that is correct terminology) I really don't know....I just go to my local Dick's sporting goods and pick out the jigs that I think are pretty......so far, in the spring, when the fish were on the beds, it was a winner in the pond. :-) I've never caught any BBG in our big lakes such as Falls, Kerr or Gaston. Is that because they are so, so big?? Pond fishing seems to be where it's at for these BBG's. Any thoughts…</p>
<p>So far, I'm addicted to bright yellow jigs with a swivel or spinner (if that is correct terminology) I really don't know....I just go to my local Dick's sporting goods and pick out the jigs that I think are pretty......so far, in the spring, when the fish were on the beds, it was a winner in the pond. :-) I've never caught any BBG in our big lakes such as Falls, Kerr or Gaston. Is that because they are so, so big?? Pond fishing seems to be where it's at for these BBG's. Any thoughts fella's?</p> What put that in my head was…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2013-06-09:2036984:Comment:3955962013-06-09T22:13:07.294ZJohnnyhttps://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/Johnny
<p>What put that in my head was me & wifey was fish'n & the gills were realy on that day, just make'n complete savages out of themselves, I tols her that is a BG got to be as big as bass you couldnt put a kid in the water, they'd have it consumed.</p>
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<p>only play'n, not try'n to hijack the thread.</p>
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<p>Carry on.</p>
<p>What put that in my head was me & wifey was fish'n & the gills were realy on that day, just make'n complete savages out of themselves, I tols her that is a BG got to be as big as bass you couldnt put a kid in the water, they'd have it consumed.</p>
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<p>only play'n, not try'n to hijack the thread.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Carry on.</p>