by slim'n'none

Created on: February 16, 2009

Bluegill are a fun fish to catch whatever your age. They are generally fairly small, 3/4 of a pound is a good sized fish, but can get large; my brother caught one that was 3 3/4 lbs once. They are typical most sunfish, a family that includes warmouth, redbreast, shell cracker, and several other fish. Though they may be small, they provide an intense fight for their size, giving some truth to the adage, dynamite comes in small packages.

When fishing for bluegill there are a few things to consider, but it boils down to two main things: location, and technique. These two are codependent. Your location will determine how you fish for these fish.

Habitat:

Bluegill are generally shallow water fish, and can be found close to the bank. They will generally congregate near some form of cover, with relatively open water. The cover they prefer ranges from docks, to wooded areas to grass flats. During their spawning season, from March up to June and even July in some places, they will also use sandy flats in teh shallows to spawn. Generally if they are gathered in large numbers, you can smell the fish during a spawning season. Many seasoned fishermen will cruise through coves with likely habitat until they smell the fish, and thens tart fishing.

Tackle: Bluegill are generally smaller fish, so you don't really need the heavy duty equipment you might use when going after bigger fish such as bass, hybrid bass, or stripped bass etc. Use lighter tackle and line that gives you greater feel for when the fish is taking the bait.

Poles: Any of a variety of poles will work, Cane poles are especially good because they are designed for fishing in the locations that these fish frequent, and they are almost permanently rigged once you set them up. Smaller rods and reels, like any rod wiht a zebco 33 will work well as well. Ultralight reels use a very light test line and make for an even more fun experience when fighting bluegill.

Bait:

Bluegill will eat a variety of bait, and you can use live or artificial bait in your attempt to catch these tasty fish. You can use both live and artificial baits, wiht many artificial baits being designed specifically for this fish.

Live: The two main live baits for bluegill are worms and crickets. Both can be found at any bait store, and both work very well. They can be fished in a variety of ways, and are generally easy to rig.

Worms: Worms come in a variety of types and sizes, and can be bought by the tin at any store that sells bait. Common types are the red

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