Need Help With the KY and Barkley Bluegill & Redear

Hey guys, I am a local of Ky and Barkley Lakes, grew up bank fishing catfish on both lakes and the rivers. I have now started chasing the pan fish. This is the first year that i have gone strictly after the gills and crackers. I have a side scan unit and i have spent some time scanning for beds. but i have only been able to find one small bedding area, fished it twice and caught maybe 20 decent bluegill, and the third time i fished it, nothing. After spending the last two fishing trips basically only scanning for beds, and finding nothing, i need some help. What type areas/banks should i be checking? 6'-4' deep? sheltered? buck brush? stake beds? sandy/rocky bottom? should i scan open water? I have gotten into the habit of not fishing an area unless i see beds, should i be blind casting jigs and drop shot crickets in decent looking areas even if I don't spot beds? not looking for anyone's honey hole, but just some friendly advice to help me target these feisty critters.

thanks!

If you have the side imaging, you should absolutely be able to locate beds on these two lakes. One thing to consider is small cuts in the shoreline. I've found bluegill beds in these small cuts, particularly if they're protected. You often read that you must be in the backs of large bays around pea gravel, but I've had luck in other scenarios. Don't get me wrong, the large bays are GREAT for finding bedding fish, but I've also found them on the main lake in cuts.

I fish Barkley, not too often Kentucky simply because I live very near Barkley. The redear are a scattered fish. I found them this year in places I had actually not found them before. I had my best catch of redear this year on a chunk rock bank!! That went against my thinking BUT they were on those rocks eating small snails that attach to them!

All I can tell you regarding the redear is that you MUST put your time in.....the bluegill aren't too difficult to find.

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Originally Posted by jangle

... I have gotten into the habit of not fishing an area unless i see beds ...

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That's a bad habit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jangle

... should i be blind casting jigs and drop shot crickets in decent looking areas even if I don't spot beds?

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Yes, particularly if those decent looking areas have deep water nearby.

Watch where bass guys are fishing - try smaller baits in the same area. Watch for bug hatches outside of bedding areas, usually there is soft mud butting up to gravel or rocks.

Troy - probably snails and crawdads...

thanks alot for the replies guys! I will definitely try the main lake cuts and I will start fishing promising areas.