Using minnows to attract larger bluegills

[south_metro_fish]

Saturday afternoon I was out with my camera and some waxies and minnows. I put my camera in and found the level some of the larger fish where hanging out. Then I set my line down in front of the camera and had it set so I could see both lines. On one line I put a small jig with a waxie and the other one I put a plain hook with a minnow. I noticed the natural action of the minnow brought a lot of larger bluegills in fast. I had it on a dropper first and they would look at it and peck at it but as soon as I put it on a plain hook they actual started swallowing it. But it was just interesting how the natural action of the minnow would have the big ones coming in. If they didn't want the minnow they would usually take interest in the other jig with the waxie. I even caught a small bluegill with a minnow, I was a little surprised. Having the minnow down I managed to catch a few crappies too. Just thought I would share.

[ec30_06]

I caught some big and small sunnies saturday on minnows. They were biting on almost everything that day.

[Esox_Magnum]

I always keep a minnow down when gill fishing.

[RylFlsh85]

Found the same thing last weekend, caught a lot of large gills on maggots all year long, then they slowed down so we tried plain #8 hooks and crappie minnows and they were hammering it, lost a few hooks they hit them so hard.

[Bottle Fish]

Last week I used a luminescent chubby darter to attract them. It might be something to look into so you don't always need to buy minnows and carry a bucket also.

I never used one before but it works great just to bring them in and I had a few hits on it as well.

[Marbleye'd]

I tried minnows about a week ago and caught nothing but northerns and bass. I went back to larve after losing a couple of jigs. Maybe the crappies and gills will start looking at them now that it is warmer out.

[south_metro_fish]

It was real tough to get the larger ones to hit on the jigs I had with waxies and erous, the horizontal jigs seemed to have the best action to get them interested though. I Luckily had some small minnows. But I continue have good luck over 30 FOW after dark for crappies with minnows and dropper rigs.

[OTBASSER]

I use minnows occasionally but the problem that I have had is that you seem to miss a lot of fish..they work best when the gills are really hammering them or if you are into some really big gills.

[Marbleye'd]

It was cool (and annoying after a while). I would be graphing 3-4 feet of fish. Then a big band would come in about 2-3 ft above them and the group of fish would be gone. i looked down the hole and watched a norhtern just below the ice swim right under me. he had to be 20+ inches long.

[south_metro_fish]

I was in to some really big gills because the ones I was able to get up were in the the 7 to 8" range. But I did have a problem hooking them, I would watch them take the whole minnow in and I would try to set the hook but would miss most of them.

I had them hooked through the back because it works well for crappies, is there a better way to hook them for bluegills?

[goblueM]

i've noticed this as well. I've actually taken to using a jigging rapala/airplane jig to attract the fish, then a maggot to hook em.

[OTBASSER]

Actually what I have found to work is using only the back 1/4 of the minnow with the tail and putting them on a horizontal jig.

[south_metro_fish]

Are they still taking and interest in minnows over the last week. I have not been out for a week and headed out this weekend just wondering if it is worth trying again.

[ec30_06]

I got some big sunnies and crappies yesterday on minnows.

[panfish11]

when fishing aggressively for larger bluegills and crappies i use small lindy rattl'n flyer spoons tipped with a small minnow head or i use a minnow head tipped on a red-glow fat boy or a chartruese genz worm . but the color depends on the water clarity of the lake and the time of day. good luck!

[panfish11]

oh and another thing for minnows that i always use is a dead stick. good luck!

[toughguy]

Oh ya. Minnows can work great for gettin those bigger gills. Keeps the smaller ones off your hook. I use leaches to do the same in the summer too. The little sunnies get to the biat quicker and nibble away but can't choke em down. The larger ones come in later and finish the job. Try the leach trick in the summer too. It can be deadly.

[Scott M]

One thing to remember with larger bluegills is once they reach a certain size, they are switching to a piscivorous diet. It's never a bad idea to go big for big gills. Larger profile baits will attract those larger fish, and keep smaller fish off the hook. A little upsizing is in order when you decide to target the brutes.

[panfish11]

yes thats a good summary of bull gills behavior and even when upsizing some of those hyperactive little guys will take a swing at the bait and might be hooked also.