catching bluegill in november

[glenn spruille]

went out last week and had a good day on the lake. want to go out this week but it has been cold. now would someone clue me in on how to catch bluegills in this weather? my fishing buddy has been catching catfish and no gills. will i have to move from spot to spot to locate them? let me know.

[John Sheehan]

From a boat :Drift jig and worm piece till you connect with a fish .Slip float up in the column mid day over deep basin areas is my thought on sunny days ,driftin near dropoffs also .From shore: slip float off the steepest bank up in the column mid day on sunny days. 

Last week on a warm day from shore Gills came up in the column at 2&1/2-3' ,at 4-4&1/2 dink bass and below that near bottom Yellow Perch . If the nights are cold and the days are too look for basin areas .The fish seem to come into the shallows agian mid day after a few  warm days .Good luck, Glenn let me know how you do .

[dick tabbert]

A fish finder would be a great machine to take along. That will tell you where fish are located and the depth they are holding at.

[glenn spruille]

thanks dick

[John Cachel]

I use live bait and keep moving slowly until I find fish! I avoid muddy or water turn dark from rain! Redworm and leaf worm are very good bait for me! Slip bobber and live bait is great for cold water also I got lot of 'gills on ice jig with maggot or waxworm from cold water until ice fishing and cold early spring time.

[glenn spruille]

thanks john

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I found this tidbit in my files:

 

"In winter, bluegill are usually found in deeper water, usually 12 to 20 feet deep. They school near underwater structure, usually near the bottom. Bluegill do not feed as actively in winter so the use of small baits and slow presentations is of utmost importance. Using light tackle and line is also essential because bluegill bite very lightly in winter and these bites would go undetected with less sensitive tackle. "

 

Since we're closer to winter than anything else now, it might be smart to be thinking that way. I'd say the two Johns have the right idea - keep moving and search among areas that fit the criteria. Deeper water with some sort of structure or anomalous feature associated with it.

Dick also hits on what I think is the best "trick" - an electronic fishfinder. Coupled with a  hydrographic map or the ability to "read" the bottom, it's probably the best way to KNOW if fish are in a specific spot. 

[glenn spruille]

Thanks David,a fish finder would be nice, but i have never heard of one usage fishing from the bank!!! I will  seek deeper water and give it a go...

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Actually Glenn - they exist!

You cast a floating transponder from shore and it sends a radio signal back to the receiver mounted on your wrist or the casting rod itself. You can use it just like a boat mounted unit, over any place you can cast to.

1. Humminbird makes one I know of, called the SmartCast. It looks like this:

 

Humminbird Smartcast

 

The one drawback I see is that the transponder is sealed. The battery in it cannot be replaced and you have to buy the entire wet unit once it reaches the end of it's 500 hour lifespan. They DO have an out-of-water shut-off to conserve power, but they're about $25.

 

2. Search ebay for 'wireless fish finder' and a ton of Chinese models come up, most with replaceable batteries in both the receiver/controller and transponder units. While they aren't brand name, they probably come from the same factories as the Humminbird models.

 

3. There are also RC boats that mount a fish finder transponder, believe it or not! They have the bonus, too, of offering you a second hobby: RC boating.

Heres one:

 

Heres where you can buy a similar model, that also includes a powered chum dumping bucket on the rear. Hunt for 'em, chum 'em up when you find them and catch them! Sweet!

RC Fishfinder Boat

 

I suppose you could also just tow a wireless transponder behind a cheap, WalMart RC boat if you wanted to go that route.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

CORRECTION: The chum dumping boat above (which is still VERY cool), does not include a fishfinder. You could, however, tow one behind it.....

And it could take your bait out much farther than you can cast!

 

[dick tabbert]

What will they think of next.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Yeah, Dick, aint it something?