April 19, 2012
By Matt Straw
Early as in "time of year." Certainly not "time of day." For a month or so after ice-out, daybreak can be a notoriously bad time to fish for bluegills way up north. Southern fisheries certainly don't experience ice-out, and bluegills tend to be more agreeable in the early-morning hours in Dixie.
Around here, the best bluegill action tends to take place from about 2 p.m. until an hour before sunset in April. The water can warm as much as 6°F between dawn and the last hours of the day. Even when the bite is good at dawn, it tends to get better several hours later.
The biggest bluegills in the lake are the ones that show up first. Truly odd how often we catch real brahma bulls early after ice-out and watch the size profile slowly dwindle each year. We're not harvesting any bulls, and we don't have much competition on our favorite spots, so it's not that the fish are gone. They just move off or become more wary.
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Big bluegills behave differently than the pack in a number of ways. They show up in the shallows first in spring, as mentioned. But they often spawn last. In a lot of lakes around here, truly big bluegills — those over a pound — spawn deeper, in slightly cooler water. When you see bluegills spawning, it's not "them." If visibility is 2 feet or better, the goliaths spawn in depths of 4 to 6 feet.
Whereas my favorite approach for spawners might be sight fishing with a panfish popper on a 4-weight fly rod, I need to use a weighted nymph or small streamer to approach the bulls. Fishing blind takes more patience, but it's well worth the effort.
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In summer, bulls are quick to respond to pressure. They either bury themselves deeper in the shallow slop or slide off the deep cabbage lines to basin transitions and deep rocks. Pulling bulls out of heavy slop is a real chore. We upgrade to 10-pound braid and "dap the gaps" with 10- to 12-foot poles. Vertically jigging the deep rocks can be a lot of fun using lighter tackle.
But spring is my favorite time of year for giants. The females are full of eggs, the cover is just beginning to grow, and we can fish them with light tackle and sensitive floats, like the Thill Shy Bite. Â The Shy Bite is a favorite in summer, too, when we're pitching short distances or dapping around the boat with a long rod. Those cautious bulls can be as careful as they want to be, but the Shy Bite won't let them touch the bait without sending us a signal.
Time to chase some crappies. I hear Shoggie's on some slabs. Stay tuned.
1 Clear Lake, California The largest lake in California (43,000 acres near Lakeport) is known for lunker largemouths, but houses overlooked giant 'gills, yielding the 3¾-pound state record last year, along with others over 3. The bite by docks and at the edge of tules is strong from mid-April into September. Nearby Collins Lake, renowned for trophy trout, also produces massive sunnies — 2 to 3 pounds. The best bite starts in April and lasts into the spawn in May and early June. Contact: Clear Lake Information, lakecounty.com; Clear Lake State Park, 800/444-7275,
parks.ca.gov ; Collins Lake, Â
collinslake.com .
6 Deep Creek Lake, Maryland This impoundment in the northwestern corner of Maryland yielded the state record 3-pound 7-ounce 'gill, giving evidence of its productivity. With a deep basin, the Prespawn and Spawn periods are protracted, with prime action from mid-April into early June. Contact: Fish Deep Creek, 240/460-8839,
fishdeepcreek.com ; Guide Ken Penrod, 301/937-0010,
penrodsguides.com .
7 Coastal Impoundments, Virginia Four reservoirs near Norfolk and Suffolk, Virginia, are regular producers of big bluegills and shellcrackers. Fertile lakes Cahoon, Western Branch, Prince, and Burnt Mills have a history of trophy fish production. Western Branch (1,265 acres) reopened to public fishing in 2010 and is known for outsize redear, with certified specimens approaching 3 pounds. Boating permits required. Contact: Burnt Mills Reservoir Manager, 757/441-5678; Chesapeake Bay Office, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 757/465-6812,
dgif.virginia.gov .
5 Kentucky & Barkley Lakes, Kentucky-Tennessee These massive impoundments — Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River and Barkley on the Cumberland — are joined by a canal and offer outstanding fishing for big redear sunfish, as well as bass and crappies. Contact: Jack Canady, Woods and Water Guide Service, 270/227-2443,
woodsandwaterguideservice.com .
2 Lake Havasu, Arizona-California Lake Havasu, impounding about 45 miles of the Colorado River, has become redear central after producing the all-tackle record 5-pound 7-ounce fish, along with many others over 2 pounds. The record was 16¾ inches long and boasted a 19-inch girth. Best action runs from April through June, when fish gather in coves to spawn. Locals fish livebait but small spinners and cranks catch some monsters. Contact: John Galbraith, Âbasstacklemaster.com; Captain Jerry's Guide Service, 760/447-5846,
havasufishingguide.com Â; Havasu Fishing,
havasufishing.com .
3 Pelican Lake, Nebraska Nestled in the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in the Sandhills region of Nebraska, Pelican Lake consistently produces the biggest 'gills in the region, many over a pound and occasional 2-pounders. Blessed with abundant and diverse large invertebrates, growth is fast in this shallow waterway. Abundant vegetation provides habitat for bugs and a sanctuary for big sunfish. Most giants are caught through the ice or in early spring. Contact: Valentine National Wildlife Refuge,
http://www.fws.gov/valentine/ .
4 Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee Labeled 'Earthquake Lake, ' a mighty tremor of the New Madrid Fault in 1811 diverted the Mississippi River, backing up this highly productive 11,000-acre waterway in northwestern Tennessee. Big bluegills and shellcrackers roam the shallow lake's cypress forests and lily pad fields, yielding prime pole-fishing opportunities all spring and summer. Contact: Bluebank Resort, 877/258-3226,
bluebankresort.com ; Eagle Nest Resort, 731/538-2143,
eaglenestresort.com .
9 Richmond Mill Lake, North Carolina Located near Laurel Hill, North Carolina, Richmond Mill likely offers the best shot at a 2-pound bluegill, truly a rare animal. This pay-to-play waterway, owned by the Kingfisher Society, is managed to ensure balance between bluegills and largemouth bass and habitat quality. After refilling in 2000, it's approaching prime productivity. Giants sometimes require finesse presentations, such as tiny jigs tipped with a bit of 'crawler. Contact: Kingfisher Society, 910/462-2324,
kingfishersociety.com .
10 Santee-Cooper, South Carolina This lowland jewel produced the former world record shellcracker and continues to yield amazing numbers of platter-sized bluegills as well as redears, not to mention big catfish, bass, and crappies. Spring comes early and a fine bedding bite starts in late March, lasting into May, but recurring on a monthly basis until September. Anglers also take jumbos in the Diversion Canal between the paired impoundments in fall and winter. Contact: Santee-ÂCooper Country, 803/854-2131,
santeecoopercountry.org Â.
8 Tidal Rivers, North Carolina Flowing into Arbemarle Sound in the northeastern part of the state are a series of blackwater rivers that represent the northernmost range of the coppernose bluegill, the southern subspecies known to attain large size. Panfish expert Jim Gronaw picks the Pasquotank, Yeopim, Perqimens, and Chowan rivers, with loads of 9- to 11-inch fish and some over 1½ pounds. Local expert Jeffrey Abney scores with hair jigs tied in a grass shrimp pattern. Contact:
bigbluegill.com ; Pembroke Fishing Center, 252/482-5343; Bethel Fishing ÂCenter, 252/426-5155.