Where to start!?

[Max westphal]

So I have been a avid bass fisherman most of my life. I enjoy fishing and have fished bluegill but not the same way I fish bass. My question to all you is where can I start? In the morning when I walk out on dock of my lake home and look down into the crystal clear water I see tons of bluegill and panfish. I would like to know what is a good setup to be able to make decent casts and fish with jigs for bluegill? Everything from rod to reel to line. Or should I ho with a nice fly set up. I have never fly fished before. So full me in I guess! My budget for this is prolly 150-200$ thank you in advance!

[carl hendrix]

hi max-- to begin with buddy  yo umade the very best decision  by joining this bbg site!!  we have tons of information   ideas  and yo udo NOT have to have a expensive set up to catch gills!!  a good u- l spining gear is excellent!!  

[Bob Garner]

just a nice ultra light outfit , a can of worms or crickets and your good to go

[jim cosgrove]

eagle claw makes a nice 4/5 weight flyrod that costs a bout 30 dollars and casts as good as my rods that cost 4-5 times as much.an expensive reel is not important decent line is.if you can sight cast in front of your house you are a lucky man

[Joe Angelucci]

Max

Shakespeare Ugly Stik 4.8 foot UL (spl 1100) is one of the best UL poles I've used. Price is about $34.95. Pair that with Aberdeen hooks sized 6- -8-10 , a few thrill mini shy bite floats,  some B split shot and you should be good to go. My line of choice is Asso Fluorocarbon 2#  May also want to pick up a good 9 foot Mr. Crappie  telescopic pole ( $10.00) . Pair that with some 2# test  and a #10 Aberdeen  hook or #12 dry fly, great for sight fishing. Don't know why, but bluegill love hotdogs, the cheaper the better.

Fixed line has been my choice method over the last 2 years. 

JDA

[carl hendrix]

a good question to ask you is-- do you WANT to try a fly rod??  if so-- there is a ton of help here! many of us fly fish-- tie fishing flys and jigs.  and will help you all we can!!   also  a old cane pole can of worms or a tube of crickets-- hard to beat!!

[Steve Wilson]

   Lots of members use a cane/ fiberglass..graphite poles.  Cheap and easy.  Check Jeffrey Abney has a lot of very good info.

[Slip Sinker]

Max... after reading your discussion i thought i would add what i though my most economical bluegill fishing hardware solution or setup... i just published it here in Pattern Rigging and Presentation. in the discussion ECONOMY QUICK START RIG - VERSATILE COMBINATION SPINNING RIG (BOBBE.... this rig kept me happy for years and i always had it stored in the car at all times with a small tackle box.

of course nothing replaces the feeling of fly fishing for gills. Jim brings up a good point or prospect in the Eagle Claw rod. i personally own (3) fly fishing rods after catching the bug and i own an Eagle claw PowerLight 8-6 is an awesome flyrod for the price it was only about 30 dollars.

Joe brings up the UL uglystick.... very good rod... my wife owns one in pink and its the only rod she fishes with.

good luck and let us know how it goes!

[Max westphal]

Wow guys thanks for all the feedback! I guess I would like to try the whole fly fishing deal! I'm going to pick up one of those eagle claw rods. Once the water opens up here in Wisconsin I'll let you know how it goes! I'm also going to post a pic of my 14in perch 10in around I caught last Friday out on the hard water! This thing was a slob!

[carl hendrix]

hey Max;; any question you may have;;; bet we can answer it!!  some of the answers might even be correct!!

[Keith Ritter]

If I were you I would just downsize the same type lures you are used to. Small crank baits, plastics or spinners. A spinning reel with 4# test should cast these very well. Drop shoting small plastics and live bait work well for me and again just downsize your tackle. You'll find Bluegill as aggressive as Bass on the strike. 

[dick tabbert]

Everybody I know starts with the dependable rubber spider. There a reason why because it works. Only need a couple colors. I'd go with a white and a black in the med sizes. That will give you an idea weather your going to like it or not but I think after that first bite you'll be bitten. GOOD FISHIN............

[carl hendrix]

Max-- if your going to get a fly rod;; a suggestion   get either a 3 wt or 5 wt rod.  a 3 wt rod is extra fun catching blue gills or any other!!  and they have plenty of strength to handle proably any big fish.  i have caught 4 lb. bass on my 3 wt-- just takes a little longer to land it is all-- but talk about fun!!   another  great idea- is using a spider on a popping bug - as a dropper !!  you can catch 2 at a time sometimes!!