Blue gills around hills area

[rippen.lips]

Where are the best blue Gill fishing lakes around the hills area? Pactola is the only place I have had any luck!

[muskie9]

Stockade has some really nice ones in the shallower bays and on the flats.

[icebomb]

My best gills always came outa Stockade. Wall has got some good ones,too.

[luckyluciano]

I've caught some nice size blue gills out of new underwood dam as well. Might be worth a shot if you prefer smaller lakes

[snotslayer]

I've had best luck finding and catching bluegills at wagoneer lake in philip

[rippen.lips]

I haven't fished wagoneer because all I have heard about it is it has hot springs all over it..... if I learned the lake I'd love to try it sometime!

[royjulius]

I haven't fished wagoneer because all I have heard about it is it has hot springs all over it..... if I learned the lake I'd love to try it sometime!

I have fished it with snotslayer and he's right. Toward dusk at Wagner is pretty darn good. The artesian water flows in north of the big ramp, which is quite a ways from the open main part of the lake. Good solid ice last year, and lots of crappie and good sized gills.   

[rippen.lips]

Nice I'll have to give a few of these lakes a try. I love catching  perch blue gils and crappie.... along with nice walleye!

[Docholiday]

Haven't fished Wall lately how is it?

[royjulius]

I fished Wall a lot last year. Tons of panfish but not a lot of size to em. Had to lower my standards a bit to take home a limit. Last time I was there at the end of last winter though, there was a guy there that caught a 16 inch crappie. I weighed it for him and it was just under 2 lbs. 

[IceIceCrappie]

Nothing better than pulling big gills thru the ice

[Sapper]

I had pretty good luck at Stockade a week ago.

[Douglas14]

If you want some great bluegill fishing head to NW Iowa to the Iowa Great Lakes. I Love Bluegill fishing 

[Jigginnesd]

Stockade

[down2fish303]

Any tips on which part of stockade or depths? I'm from Colorado and will be fishing the black hills area for the first time next weekend. Any tips or help will be much appreciate!

[Sapper]

I had success at a depth of approx. 15 feet on the east end of the lake. Pretty much stayed right there. Only drilled 6 holes and bounced around those.

[down2fish303]

Thanks for your response Sapper! Do the perch in stockade still have worms? Did a little research and that's what people were saying a few years back.

[royjulius]

I had success at a depth of approx. 15 feet on the east end of the lake. Pretty much stayed right there. Only drilled 6 holes and bounced around those.

Exactly my results. Yes, the perch still have worms. I took 6 or 7 last time with my gills and got lucky, only had to throw one out because it had a bunch. Sometimes they only have 1 or 2 so I pick em out. 

[down2fish303]

Thanks for the info guys! Is there a favorite bait shop in the area that you guys like to stop at?

[Sapper]

I used the bait shop just east of Custer state park. I hear that Rooster is a good place. I have not been there yet. I know the Gas station at the intersection of 385 and 16 has wax worms and spikes.

[royjulius]

I used the bait shop just east of Custer state park. I hear that Rooster is a good place. I have not been there yet. I know the Gas station at the intersection of 385 and 16 has wax worms and spikes.

That's good to know. I wasn't aware that they carried bait at that station. 

[scarygoose]

Last time I was at that gas station...Thursday the 14th,  all they had were night crawlers.  last two years they had waxies, but not this year.  Stopped in at the hardware store and they were expecting their shipment of waxies in that day or the next.  Hope this helps.

[royjulius]

Thanks. I'll just keep giving The Rooster my business. Gotta go for the sure thing, plus they always have reports. I finally got my K-Drill so I can drill holes now. My auger died so I went electric.

[scarygoose]

Glad to hear you're back in the business of drilling holes   Look forward to your after season review on the K drill.

[royjulius]

Glad to hear you're back in the business of drilling holes   Look forward to your after season review on the K drill.

I should have some kind of review after this weekend. Prolly try it out at New Underwood dam Friday afternoon, then go somewhere Saturday and see how many holes I can drill on a battery. 

[royjulius]

Can't say enough good things about that K-Drill. I counted 20 holes at Curlew on the first battery through 14 inches. Then I went to New Wall and fished til dark on 12 inches. I'm sure I got 40 holes before I had to change batteries. I met Bigfoon at Curlew, great guy. I showed him the K-Drill and he and his buddies thought it was cool. I seems to cut as fast or faster than my old SM 224 Lazer. I'll never go back to gas. At the end of the day my buddy said that he thought the K-Drill helped us catch more fish because we made more quick decisions that didn't require starting his gas auger and warming it up. I also noticed that the only 2 other groups that were on our end of the lake (the dam) were using electric augers.

[Zelecki15]

Rooster is always my go to place here in Rapid. The fellas who work there are very knowledgable of the area. They also have the longest lasting live bait, and best selection of different kinds of minnows, and in various sizes. One stop shop!