cant catch a bluegill?

[marcus]

I have read the tips and follow them... I use the baits and techniques I hear about I use the baits/lures/jigs I hear about depth is tough cause some guys like deep some like the weeds I have a flasher I can regularly catch perch and crappie but for some reason I cannot catch a bluegill I usually end up catching perch while jigging for bluegills. If I am fishing an area of a lake known to produce 'gills and add the "knowledge" I think I am gaining why can I not catch one. Are these the fish I see on my flasher 3 or 4 feet down in 8-15 fow ? I always mark fish or something in this area of the water column and it seems that when I lower my jig the jig becomes the only thing in that area of the water column? I sometimes drill 25-30 holes even when fishing alone so movinh to find them is probably not my problem. I normally use 4# mono is this seriously too heavy do these fish get spooked with even light activity on the ice? just seems strange I can catch them in good size and numbers open water but as soon as the lake freezes I cannot catch even one. Been a while since I have even caught an incidental one. What could I be doing wrong?

[RedWolfUSAF]

I doubt that those suspended fish are gills.  In my experience they tend to be more toward the bottom.  I got a good tip a month ago that has been working for me lately.... I use to put the bait right in front of the fish 1 - 2' off the bottom.  The guy I was with was placing his jig 2-3' above the fish and enticing them to come up after it....the more aggressive fish will rise and those tend to be the larger gills.  If nothing rises after a few minutes...move to a different hole a few feet away.  He was catching alot of fish while I was staring at my flasher....I've started slowly dropping my bait and hanging it above the blips on the flasher then "pounding" and it's been working.  If alot of fish rise quickly and seem to swarm your jig without biting and then slink back to the bottom you're probably dealing with very small perch....move.  I've also gone real small with jigs especially if I'm in anything less than 10 feet.  Small jig and 2 spikes barely hooked and hanging straight off the hook has been my lucky set up lately.

Good Luck

[bigdave1018]

great tips red. i like to use a real small dry fly on a dropper and bait it with 1 spike. small jig on top with the fly on no more then a 4 in 2 # or less leader usually floro carbon. finicky gills will slurp the fly like candy   just about all the time were they might shy away from the lure. hey it works for me good luck either way. big dave out

[reelbigfish]

Hey Marcus,
  Some lakes are better for perch than gills.  I usually find gills in the weeds.  The
trick is to first find fish then move around that area to find the bigger fish.  Winter gills seem to like to hang out in green (still growing) cabbage or coontail weeds.  Start on the edge of a weedbed (same places you catch them in the summer) and work toward the dropoff.  Try about a foot or two off the bottom.  Orange, chartruse, or gold jigs work well.  Single spike or mousie on small jigs, more bait on
larger hooks.  Great tip from BigDave on fly dropper.  Now get out there and catch something dude.

Ted

[Skipper]

Are you getting gas on your hands from your auger? That stuff is fish repelant. I cant think of anything else, if they are there, they will bite eventualy.

[icejunky]

There have been some nice points brought up so far, another thing to mention is that gills can be ultra light bitters, a sping bobber or marmish rod will help detect the soft bite and land you more fish....rememeber they have small mouths so small hooks are in order. Like mentioned above I like to use maggots or waxies, berkly makes a killer "honeyworm" that i catch gills on all year round.

[trapster]

One thing to consider too, when you say you put it right on their nose.  IMHI Using a flasher, the fish that appear deeper on the scale actually could just be to the outer edge of the cone from the trans.  Being to the outer edge would make them appear deeper.

[GatorBait]

Get an AquaVu Camera. With this you can see where the fish are, how your presentation is affecting the fish and what kind of structure your fishing. This is one of the best tools for fishing I've found yet. Somedays, gills don't want the bait to move, maybe they prefer plastics over live, smaller bait rather than what is on the line. You have to play alot sometimes and maybe there just not there. During early ice, try finding some vegetation that is still alive, as they will hang out there due to the weeds producing more oxygen in that area.

Tight Lines,
GatorBait

[fishingking]

one thing i havent seen mentioned yet is  drop your line size I use 2 lb and 3lb test line for all my panfishing

[lostfisher1]

what kind of jigs do u use. try a shrimpo or ratso. the fish cannot see to stay away fron those. also u might want to go up to someone who is catching gills and talk to them about it. and even try asking someone if they mind if u fish there. also try to see what kind of structure they have that they r fishing on.

[A- bomb]

Here's a strange one...One lake i fish they won't hit it unless its wiggle'in. 2 miles away they like a slight twitch and let it sit,sit and sit. been that way for years. my 2cts. 

[kevheads]

definitely go with lighter line 1 or 2 lb test.
   We catch alot of gills that suspend over the deepest water in the lake.They seem to roam the deep water at a preferred level.
Stick with it,sometimes they just are not in the mood to bite.Watching on a flash,more fish just come up and check the bait out and leave than come in and pounce on it.Keep changing things up with your bait,if they just come in and look try raising it slowly or jiggle it or don't do nothing.Just keep trying different things to find out what they want.

[marcus]

thanks for the tips I am catching bluegill with ease now thank you i have downsized everything and watch out for getting gas on my hands seems to work