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Bluegill Food & Heavy Hook

This is what I call a bluegill beast hook. Note this line is also a little heavy for my liking. This is the heaviest hook I fish when the gills are slam'n. This is 2 sizes larger than my Spring hook selection. Next to that hook would be common bluegill food - a bloodworm (midgefly larvae).
If you can image in it, I fished bloodworm in a World Championships on a size 22 hook. Single bloodworm, tiny hook. Fish something that fits in their mouth and they will eat it.

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Comment by Leo Nguyen on March 26, 2014 at 12:24pm: I believe bloodworm is used by aquaculturists quite a bit to raise their fishes. I'm not surprised to see fishes attack the bloodworms like it's candies/steaks. Of course, it can be expensive in the long run providing such fine dinning experiences. The larger worms are primarily focused upon due to the readily available sources, not only being easily cared for, but also raised within a confined system for various purposes. As Tony, Tooty, and various other smaller hooks' aficionados would vouch that smaller hooks to provide more effective catches, even for the finicky eaters. Pairing up with the smaller bait, like the bloodworms, may be the ticket to bring home more of the prized catches. I've played with tubifex worms, but I have yet to play with bloodworms. Similar sizes, and a heck of a time to hook them on, even with a #20 and #22. #24 is perfect, but man oh man, using a microscope is the only way to go.

Comment by John Sheehan on March 26, 2014 at 12:23pm: Johnny, that hook has no eye ,is that right ?It's snelled like an old Colonial Angler would do it .

Comment by Johnny wilkins on March 26, 2014 at 12:02pm: Absolutely. My favorite brand of hooks is no longer produced. I am working on bringing back the patterns to share with everyone.

I have used bloodworm in bait form (but not on hook) for gills. If you have an aquarium you can buy bloodworm. Feed some to your fish and let me know how they react.

I teach groups of kids and trust me- I have seen a tornado of kid chaos when 16 kids all grabbed telescopic poles from a rack and proceeded to tangle 9 of them right out of the gate. Hooks and lines everywhere. That said the hooks I use are easily plucked from the skin - I of course make them wear safety glasses. I have had no problems or complaints from hooked victims every since I outlawed outside hooks.

It was an outside hook brought in that caused an E.R. visit - right under the thumbnail - painful and impossible. One kid not paying attention walked into the other's line and hooked the skilled angler with his own hook. I felt horrible.

Change is coming.

Comment by Leo Nguyen on March 26, 2014 at 11:55am: Johnny, can't wait for your instructional video. It'll be great to see it in action. I have yet to discover the bloodworms in our waters over here yet, so, can't say how effective they will be in enticing the gills around here. Of course, the bloodworms may have been all eaten up the second they hatch from the water by the ravenous gills and baitfishes that hug the shallow shore.

Let us know what brand of hooks you're using in the process of the videos so we can experiment with you as well. Like I said, I'm cautious in playing with #22 hooks now, especially with kids that love to mess around with small things like these. I guess it's the parental instinct of mine just kicking in at a much higher level than I anticipated.

Comment by Johnny wilkins on March 26, 2014 at 11:49am: I say this - get a different method. I present to you that when i fished the World Championships my 3rd time in Italy, my coaches had me go watch the British team. I saw a different method of unhooking. What I saw was they took the fish off the hook - not the hook out of the fish.

When I post things on the board, don't think me rude. Don't think I know it all. Please don't take it that way because I learn from you guys as well!

I have seen some different fishing and I present it so if I ever rub you wrong- do tell me. I don't mean to. I am passionate about fishing and bluegills are among my favorite fishing.

Does this make sense to everyone? It blew my mind. What I mean is that they held the hook (even tiny hooks) still and they moved only the fish. I had never done that. I always held the fish still and moved the hook or grabbed the hook with the tool. Try it - it works amazingly if you understand it. I will share it via video once Polar Vortex leaves Chiberia up here. We still have glacial-sized snow mounds yet to melt!

Comment by Johnny wilkins on March 26, 2014 at 11:39am: Leo-

I rarely get hooked and I handle a lot of fish. I think we need to get you a couple of different methods.

This Spring I will do the - start with the basics campaign with a series of videos. The hooks I use are lighter, thinner and way awesome-r than anything you might have tried. I see a lot of people abuse the term light hooks when I see the wire that some company made a "dry fly hook" out of - I cringe. The wire is many times 3x the weight of what I am using. Thinner, lighter and safer.

Note- that is not a wound on my finger- that IS the bloodworm from my pond. What this is supposed to illustrate is that the food they eat is [[ often ]] very tiny. This is a steak for them. Also- that is not size 22 hook- my headline is misleading that is a brute-strength size 14 carp / cat hook that is also thick - but thinner than most brands on shelves. Great things are coming!! Can't wait. This Spring is huge for fishing and me I will share the goodness.

On the barbless front - this is good for many baits- not good for red worms or night crawlers, they will scramble right off that barbless hook.

Comment by Leo Nguyen on March 25, 2014 at 10:46pm: Youch! Battle wound.

Bloodworm is indeed a great bait. But using hooks that small, man, that's one heck of skill that I dare not venture in any more. Still have a 1/3 of the hook's segment traveling somewhere in my body. X-ray couldn't detect it because it's so small. Had enough experience with #20 and #22. I'll go with #18 for trout. That's the smallest I play with now. Still have tons of the #22 and #20 in my tackle box, which have not and will not see the daylight for a long..long..long time.

Comment by carl hendrix on March 25, 2014 at 8:48pm: the other small difference?? you mean besides it being barbless??

Comment by Johnny wilkins on March 25, 2014 at 8:42pm: Bloodworm is bluegill caviar...

Comment by Johnny wilkins on February 24, 2010 at 2:39pm: Walt is right - everyone should take note. If you have a real specimen or a top line bull male fish that you intend on releasing, if the hook is swallowed really deep- I think it best to cut that line and return that fish to water immediately.
Where I fish a lot of people fish. I do catch fish with hooks in them so if they can feed at all, they can survive a season or two and pass on their genes in the next spawn - mission accomplished. See it's swallowed, snip it and return it. - I think that's a bumper sticker.