I fish the beds, but only to determine what size males are using which ones, and that is all catch and release. Once the local size is determined then it is a matter of adjacent holding and schooling areas which can be quite deep even when the spawning bed is very shallow.
IMO bluegills don't move very far for anything, and do not rove anywhere to the degree that crappies do. IOW if you are catching dinks, you will not likely catch much of any size in that spot; so move until you connect with size you are looking for. I understand that shellcrackers behave somewhat differently, but they don't live this far north.
What more could you ask for?
Same here. That's not just for trout. Gills are bug eaters, too.
Amen. We've all heard reports of people catching bluegills on big crankbaits and plastic worms. It's because the bluegills are using the same structure as the bass, and they will occasionally hit a big bait like that. You can mop up on the gills by using small jigs and/or bait.
Thanks guys most lake I fish are 12 ft the deepest water some 8 ft on some of the others
I find the piers that are well fished full of those bait stealing juveniles. They eat up your bait in seconds. Avoid piers and use a small hook.
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