Bluegill

[creature19_99]

when I fish for cats with blue gill, I will always get plenty of really good bites, but nothing ever takes the bait so to speak. Do I need to start leaving my spool on cast? is there anything I should know to fish this way? Thank you for any input

Brandon

[kccats]

This is hard to say without more imput.
What kind and size of hooks are you using?
What is the size of bluegills you are using?

Is has not been discussed on the board lately, but it can also be that male channel cats will hit or slam their head into anything that comes near their beds when they are spawning. Thats why they get real bumpy swollen heads.

[creature19_99]

well I usually like to use bluegill that can fit in my palm, not too much bigger than that, and I like a size 4 circle hook either through the mouth or just below the dorsal fin. and I lock my real after I cast with just a little slack. is this bad practice?

Brandon

[kccats]

I would personally use at least a 6 or 8 circle hook for that size.
I would free spool if I were you to let them run a bit.
Another option would be to use a large slip cork like is available through maine wolf products (BOC Sponsors). They are large enough to help hook the fish once the bait is taken.

[MadKater]

I would suggest going to a differnt style hook and see how that works for ya....for palm size gills i usually use a 7/0 eagle claw kahles,this size seems to be perfect,i really like using eagle claws king kahles in 8/0-10/0 but it seems they are to thick wired to allow the gill to swim around naturaly{as naturaly as anything could with a hook sticking in it anyway lol} , so i save those for large pieces of cut bait or very large gills or gold fish.if your fishing in any type of current hook the gill in the head about half way between the eye and dorsal fin,be careful not to stick the spine,in slack water hook behind the dorsal near the tail. another trick you could try is off setting the point of your hook,take a pair of pliers and twist the point one way or the other as extreme as 45 degrees,doing this will increase your hook ups dramaticly,you can do this on circles or J style hooks...good luck to ya.

[r_p_narramore]

A lot of times they will hit it real hard and kill it then come back for it a few minutes later. Also make sure the bluegill don't fill up the gap of the hook when baiting them.

[IL Hunter]

I'd use an 8/0 hook and put my baitclicker on, so it would also depend on what kind of reel you are using.

[slimcat]

One thing you can try is to use your clicker but when the fish starts moving off with it take the clicker off, thumb the spool and then flip the lever or turn the handle and set the hook.

[Cat King]

Bigger the bait, the bigger the hook

[valentine]

Do you clip the tails on the bluegill? I have never fished using them and would love to know more about it.

[SkiMax]

another thing i would check is that alot of times after I hook a bluegill one of their scales is stuck on the point of the hook. Needless to say, this is BAD! try to run your hook up under the scales before hooking and always check the point for scales!

[vlparrish]

Valentine, I have good luck for all species of cats with gills. I prefer to use them live, but have also caught cats on them cut. When I rig them live I use a three way rig to keep the live gill off the bottom, if he can get under something and hide he will. Also I like a 8/0 J-style hook and hook them right under the back of the dorsal fin. I usually don't scale them or cut them any, the small amount of blood coming from the hook hole and the natural smell of the gill is usually enough to attract the cats. Vern

[Puddycat]

When I fish for flats it is usually in some heavy cover. I use a size 8/0 Circle placed just behind the dorsal fin. Do not hook the fish any deeper than necessary. I usually use at least a 3oz. no-roll (depending on current), with an 18 inch leader. You should have a large emphasis on your bait placement in relation to the cover. The closer the better, but obviously not in it. If you are too deep in the cover a good tell tale is that you will not see the gill bouncing your rod tip anymore and generally means he is tangled up in it. Because of the heavy cover and use of circle hooks I never leave the reel in free spool. The drag is always set just enough to set the hook when the fish runs. Once I pick up the rod and thumb the spool I can adjust the drag from there. As far as clipping fins, there is no need. If you have the gills in a good aerated tank they will have more energy than a kid after a visit to the candy store.

[valentine]

Valentine, I have good luck for all species of cats with gills. I prefer to use them live, but have also caught cats on them cut. When I rig them live I use a three way rig to keep the live gill off the bottom, if he can get under something and hide he will. Also I like a 8/0 J-style hook and hook them right under the back of the dorsal fin. I usually don't scale them or cut them any, the small amount of blood coming from the hook hole and the natural smell of the gill is usually enough to attract the cats. Vern

Thanks for the input. There are no shortage of small bluegill where I have been fishing. I will call a few in and give it a go.:big_smile:

[Gringoloco]

One thing I have found out fishing with bluegill is the bigger the better, and the heads work best for me. The little guys, I throw on there and make a nice slit in their stomach to make them bleed alittle and get the gut juice to leak out as well. A wounded or dying fish rings the dinner bell for them like none other. For the bigger gills I chunk them up, normally head, center section (makes two pieces), tail throw away. I get most of my bigger cats off of the head, dont know what it is around here with the head section but they cant get enough of it. I always fish with a bait cast reel/rod setup, so I click the bait alarm on, lift the lever for the spool to wind out freely, and just wait for that big boy to start spooling me out. As soon as that happens, I pick up the pole, turn the bait alarm off/flip the lock and start reeling it in, and adjust my drag set to how hard the fish is fighting me.