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 Post subject: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 10:47 pm • # 1 
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Location: Indiana
I was fly fishing off a boat last week and found a great spot where the fish were coming to the surface for a spider fly(size 12 hook). I could see them "hit" the fly, but every time I missed. I counted and missed 8 times in a row! My uncle had said I should set the hook immediately when the bluegill hits. I tried that, then I tried waiting a moment longer. Nothing worked. I wanted to know if anyone else ever has a problem like this?


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 11:56 pm • # 2 
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Hook/Fly might be too big for the fish that are trying to eat it.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 2:16 am • # 3 
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They have little mouths and a habit of chewing my flies up without touching the hook. I had some little poppers that lost the tails and legs before I could get anything hooked. Fun little buggers.

Mike


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 6:01 am • # 4 
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Cowpokey nailed it -- most likely they were a gang of dinkers not big enough to get the fly in their mouths. Bring a few smaller trout flies of any kind and you can find out next time.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:32 am • # 5 
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Next time use a wet fly like a small nymph and you'll catch a lot more of them.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 9:20 am • # 6 
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hopper/dropper foam spider/tiny wet fly


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:47 pm • # 7 
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Cliff Hilbert wrote:
Next time use a wet fly like a small nymph and you'll catch a lot more of them.


Bingo! Topwaters Fun but sometimes you have to go under to hook them. If your spiders have legs the little guys will nibble at them sometimes even pulling the fly/bug under. I hate when that happens because to me bugs without legs don't seem to catch as many bream :-\


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:09 pm • # 8 
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I agree that they were most likely "dinks". All my foam spiders are tied on size 12 hooks & I have no issue hooking & landing large 'gills, but small 'gills will tend to peck at a spider's legs.. Wait a bit after they hit, then use a "strip set" (simply simultaneously lift the rod while stripping the line or "rod hand up-line hand down"). Keep in mind that foam spiders are soft & seldom are spit out quickly, so don't be afraid to wait a bit..I often say "wait for the weight".
Good luck next trip.

Mikey


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:16 pm • # 9 
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A few years back I built a couple dozen poppers in size 10; beautiful little poppers; I gave a few to my friends and kept a few. Me and one of the guys I gave the poppers to went fishing and we were both using these poppers. The fish would nail them time and time again but would not take the hook. My buddy said the popper was the problem and put on a Miss Prissy and started catching fish. I continued to use my "beautiful little popper" and was still missing fish; finally catching a couple. Anyway, long story short, sometimes the way the fly is made determines whether or not it'll hook fish. I had used some small rubber leg-like material for the tail and the poppers would sat straight in the water(because the rubber floated), not hook down as they are supposed to; when a fish hit it, the tail(where the hook was) would flip up, so it was impossible for a small mouthed fish to get hooked(same general concept that salt water fishermen use when fishing reds with topwaters) So, long story; but it could be the little fly; not the fish that's the problem( school of hard knocks)-p-


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 5:58 am • # 10 
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I catch bluegills on small hooks and hooks up to a eight. Seem to have much more luck subsurface. Gets exasperating having topwater strikes and few hookups. Love those bg.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:00 pm • # 11 
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My top producers are #14 comparadun, followed by #12 X-caddis, then #12 foam beetle. #8 fathead diver is the largest top water fly I've caught a gill on.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:52 pm • # 12 
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I had luck this summer in similar situations - I used a #16 hook with peacock herl and a small soft-hackle of starling. It seemed to be irresistable, when fished just under the surface. This fly has worked for just about every species I've ever fished for.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 4:22 pm • # 13 
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Sometimes they can get aggressive at larger flies but usually I go small, sizes 10-14 typically. Here's an exception to the rule, though. I was using a 1/0 foam bass fly with twin glass rattles in a farm pond with my 9wt when a hybrid sunfish took a swipe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt3a0dkyvTA


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 4:42 pm • # 14 
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TheCream wrote:
Sometimes they can get aggressive at larger flies but usually I go small, sizes 10-14 typically. Here's an exception to the rule, though. I was using a 1/0 foam bass fly with twin glass rattles in a farm pond with my 9wt when a hybrid sunfish took a swipe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt3a0dkyvTA


WOW! Great video, I once caught a 12in bluegill (spincasting) while using a pre-rigged worm with three hooks. Cast it out, let it sink to the bottom and reel slowly, the bluegill hit good as I was bass fishing. One of the biggest surprises while fishing!


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 6:49 pm • # 15 
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There are times aplenty that gills will smack the crap out of a rubber legged spider, but not take the whole bug in their mouth (nipping the legs). On days like that I switch to a smaller dry fly, and that helps sometimes.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 3:53 am • # 16 
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Nice video Cream, ya gotta love them Bluegill :)

Was that a gurgler?


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:07 am • # 17 
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here in my neck of the woods(east texas) fishing a small fly results in catching excessive numbers of very small brim. To combat taking the little runts off the hook we generally use flies that are tied on 10,8, and 6 hook sizes. We use the small flies if we want to catch a bucketful to bait a trotline.-p-


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:20 am • # 18 
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If the bream are hitting the legs on the spiders but not taking the whole fly, cut the legs much shorter.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 11:58 am • # 19 
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flflash wrote:
Nice video Cream, ya gotta love them Bluegill :)

Was that a gurgler?


Modified Stealth Bomber pattern. It's sort of a popper/slider mix, a hybrid. Bass love it.


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 Post subject: Re: Catching bluegill
PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 12:12 pm • # 20 
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Cliff Hilbert wrote:
If the bream are hitting the legs on the spiders but not taking the whole fly, cut the legs much shorter.

That's a great idea,thanks Cliff!


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