Originally Posted by
slabsrus
Big gills like these are most often caught during the spawn when they are in reasonably shallow water close to shore, but once the spawn is done they can be a real challenge. I personally prefer to fish the big ones later in the summer in deeper water, and then in the fall when they make their way back into somewhat shallower water. Once the big gills leave their spawning areas they tend to head for some of the deeper areas in most lakes. In mid summer I often find myself in my kayak sitting over 15 - 30 feet of water with my ultralight gear, pulling the bull gills from the depths. I key on structure in those depths using 1/80th - 1/32 oz jigs tipped with various soft plastics on 2 or 4 pound test with no bobber. In some of the local lakes that are extremely clear I look for weed beds that come up from 15+ feet of water. These weed beds will hold big gills in the typical places as shallow water weeds. Points on the weed beds, inside corners, and pockets in the weeds will be ideal. But the big ones will also often suspend over the weed beds. And of course not all deepwater weed beds are equal. An isolated weed bed on a large 15 foot flat will often produce a few good fish, but put that same weed bed next to a submerged hump or a couple pieces of wood and you will generally find more big fish. Speaking of humps, they are my go to spot for mid summer big gills. Submerged humps are themselves structure, but they will usually contain various other structure on or around them such as rocks, logs, and weeds, which make them a big bluegill magnet. I have 2 such humps that I fish regularly and they almost always produce several large bluegills. The tricky thing I find about fishing big bluegills after the spawn is when they decide to suspend in deep water. Those buggers could be 2 feet from the bottom or hanging 10 feet off the bottom in 30 feet of water. Since I do not use electronics, those are the hardest fish for me to find. Whether the fish are in 12 feet of water or 30 feet of water, and whether they are closely relating to structure or suspended in open water, my approach to catching them is pretty much the same. Light line, with Ultralight jigs and soft plastics. Cast out and let it sink. If it does not get picked up on the way down then I just slowly work my bait in and around whatever structure might be present. If the gills are on top of deep water weeds I have found that I often catch them by the tallest weeds in the bed or above a hole in the beds. If they are relating to wood or rocks, I usually catch them on the shaded side throughout the summer. When fishing in deep water with such light tackle it is very important to pay special atttention to what your line is doing. You must watch for the slightest little tick, or a minor straightening of the line. These big gills will often just suck in the bait and sit there for a moment with it in their mouth. If you did not detect that initial bite it is quite likely that they will spit it. If I do not pick up any good ones right near the deep structure then I slowly begin working my way away from the structure into the surrounding open water. This is where the very light rig comes in, allowing the bait to sink very slowly and give any suspended fish in the area time to see it. I will cast 3 or for times to an area, allowing my jig to reach bottom, being sure to count it down all the way to the bottom. If I catch a fish or get a strike , I make a mental note of what count I was at when it happened, then cast to that same area. If it happens again I know where the fish are suspended and begin searching similar areas at similar depths. In clear to slightly off color water I prefer a white or pearl color jig head with a white/black minnow imitation or natural worm color soft plastic. In stained or muddy waters my favorite is an orange jig head with white/black, or chartreuse soft plastic.
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