Now is a good time to get out and cast for the bountiful bluegill
I walked down onto my dock yesterday and was thrilled at what I saw. There in front of me were the beginnings of some bluegill beds. This scrappy panfish is about to hit the spawn in full swing and now is a great time to get on the water and catch some of the biggest bluegills of the year.
Bluegill will spawn anytime from April to June, but the real key is a steady water temperature of 70 degrees. The constant rain and cool spring has delayed this process by a few weeks but all indications are good that there will be some exciting fishing coming our way. And if the conditions remain steady for a while, they might even spawn several times.
Bluegill beds are easy to spot because they are a bunch of circles dotting the bottom of a lake or river. Most of the time they will be in sandy areas that the males can easily fan and clear out for the females. They will also be in areas that are wide open and exposed to sunlight for much of the day. In just a few minutes you can cruise along almost any shoreline and find a bunch of bluegill beds this time of year.
Once the males have the beds ready, the females will come in and spawn. They will lay up to 60,000 eggs across several nests. These eggs hatch three days later and the males that remain behind protect their nests ferociously, which is why it is so much fun to catch them during this time of year.
Some bedding areas can have in excess of 100 beds. The sheer number of fish in these small locations is overwhelming. If you have a young child or someone that has never fished before but would like to, this is the time to do it. Just about any live bait or small artificial lure will work and it’s not uncommon to catch a fish on every cast.
If the beds are full of medium to smaller sized bluegills, try backing off of the bedding area just slightly and fish the deeper water. Big females will hold just out of sight and if there is some vegetation around, then you have really hit the jackpot. You have just found the conditions that can produce the biggest bluegills of the year.
All of these gamefish concentrated in one area have tremendous influence on the other fish in the area as well. Bigger predators such as bass, northern and walleyes will roam the shoreline looking for these bluegill havens. These predators understand that these gills are easily ambushed. It is quite likely that you will see large bass sitting in an area of bluegill beds waiting for them to return so they can feast. Even on hot sunny days, you can catch huge bass sitting in less than one foot of water working the bluegill beds.
Another great plus for catching bluegills this time of year on their beds is that you can see them the entire time. Watching your bait hit the water and seeing several fish attack it is exciting for anglers of all ages, especially young ones. If three people are in the boat, there is the possibility that all three of you will catch a fish at the same time. Photo opportunities abound when the bluegills are spawning.
I plan on taking my two boys out this weekend to chase some gills and I’m sure that many of you will be as well. Pack some drinks, a few snacks, plenty of sunscreen and lots of little hooks and you will be set for the day. Enjoy the great fishing while it lasts, because the hot, lazy days of summer will be upon us soon and the fishing won’t be as easy.
