Are you an angler and tired of small bluegill? Or it’s your first-time fishing and you want to make sure that you catch the biggest fish your first time? Well, fishing is a high activity that will give you great experiences. If you have the urge for new experience try catching that big bluegill. And catching it is quite simple. But do you know that regardless of your experience in angling, you can still go home without catching that bluegill, or end up catching the small ones? Continue to read on and learn How to Catch Big Bluegill.
I know you’re wondering how you’ll catch that big bluegill. If you don’t know, then this is the right article for you. You’ll not only learn It not only describes what bluegill is but also explains in detail some of the things you need to do to catch big bluegills. If you want to learn about the best Bluegill bait and Reels Checkout our post: The Best Bluegill Fishing Reels
What is a Bluegill
Bluegill is a species of fish in the sunfish family, and is found in freshwaters and is also known as sunny fish, brim, perch, or bream. Bluegills are very old because they know how to avoid the angler’s trap. They can live up to ten years. The color of their bellies varies in different bluegills. For instance, the female bluegill’s belly is yellow, while a breeding male has a belly that is rusty red. Although catching them is easy and fun, you can have a hard time unless you follow the following guidelines.
6 Tips on How to Catch Big Bluegill
- Think deep
In the large water fisheries, you will find the most massive sunfish and bluegills residing in the deepest parts of the waters, apart from during their spawning period. This is mainly to avoid the anglers who cast down baits in the shallow surfaces. By doing this, these species remain safe, and that is why it is possible to find a very old and big bluegill. To catch these water giants, you should put your focus on the areas that provide shifts in bottom composition and areas outside weed edges.
These areas are usually prime in providing stable conditions of water the entire summer. Nevertheless, it is essential to use slender spoons that will get to the bottom very fast. Using scented plastics or live baits plays a significant role in enticing these big targets. Once the bait gets to the bottom, the fish races to check it and, in the process, gets caught. Therefore, the deeper you go, the more likely you are to catch the big bluegills.
- Explore the unbeaten path
Of course, fishing in an area where boats regularly rows will bear less or no fruits when it comes to catching your giant target. These fish are always very cautious when it comes to approaching baits dropped from float tubes, canoes, or kayaks. It is just like the way you wouldn’t walk into a trap you can see. In the same way, fish are also brilliant.
Hence, to get more dividends, explore the areas that are not easily accessible by boats. You can use maps such as Google Earth to identify those areas with no anglers fishing. Getting to those areas may require a little effort from you, but once you are there, you will leave the area with one big bluegill if not several.
- Keep your bait fresh
The same way you would go for a fresh snack or meal, the same way your target will go for fresh bait. Whichever kind of bait you use, you should maintain it in a healthy and fresh state. This calls for you to understand the season you are fishing and the probable water temperatures in that season. For instance, during summer, you should maintain your bait cool. This is because, during this season, the temperatures rise as a result of decreased capability of water to hold oxygen. Therefore, you can use insulated aerators and coolers to maintain the water in well-oxygenated levels. With this, you have the certainty of your bait staying active and healthy as well. The results of keeping your bait active and healthy cannot be overrated.
- Check the water temperature
This may sound very simple but plays a very significant role in locating bluegills. Just like many other species of fish, bluegills are very subtle to water temperatures. The preferable temperature for these particular species is about 69℃. Any extreme higher or lower temperatures will drive the fish away. During spawning, they prefer a temperature range of about 70℃ to 75℃. Therefore, to locate the big bluegill, use a water thermometer to check if the temperature is suitable for them. But if you fish blindly without conducting a temperature check, you may never catch anything.
- Make some noise
This is very interesting. Right? Noise is known to drive away many species of fish, but with sunfish and particularly bluegills, it’s a different case. Some of the prey for bluegills are crayfish. And as crayfish dash across the rocks or as they clunk their pinchers, they tend to make some noise. Therefore, making noise will attract your target as they will think it is their prey. If you are unable to imitate these noises, you can use crankbaits such as lipless baits that are very good at making such kind of noise as crayfish. As crazy as it may sound, it is an excellent way of ensuring you catch that big bluegill.
- Watch the weight of your line
The weight of the line you are using determines the speed at which the bait falls in the water. Fish are smart too, and many big bluegills will overlook a bait that falls too quickly. So, get a lighter line that will cause the bait to fall at a moderate speed to prevent causing alarm and driving away your target.
Conclusively, wanting to catch big bluegill is one thing, and catching it in real sense is another thing. Whether you will make that big catch will be determined by the methods you use to do it. But one sure thing is that angling bluegills can be fun, and especially when doing it with your kids. So, if you have any other tips drop them in the comments and let the community know. If any of these tips has helped you so far then leave a comment.