I was exploring a cove for Bluegill a couple weeks ago with little success. I decided to try something different. I purchased these tube jigs about a year ago but never tried them. I tied on a pair of these jigs on 1/32 ounce jig heads and started catching crappie, bass and gaspergou on almost every cast.

I then tried them below the spillway along the rocks. I caught crappie, green sunfish, warmouth, gaspergou and buffalo on the jigs.

So I took them out to the main lake and did some exploring. They worked great again. I caught bluegill, green sunfish, small bass and gaspergou. The only problem is they aren't weedless so when I found the bluegill in the submerged weeds in shallow water I had to switch over to a fly rod and top water popper.

What is your favorite artificial lure for Sunfish and Bluegill?

What is your favorite weedless lure for Sunfish and Bluegill?

Favorite artificial for bluegills is a 1/32 oz. jig head with a small plastic cricket on it. Plastic just needs to look like a bug. In Spring when they are shallow and feeding, I like to fish this on one of the beedle spin type spinners. I don't have a weedless lure, but if you will use only one of the 1/32 oz. jigs on your line so it will fall slower it will not burry up in the weeds/grass as bad. Experiment and reel it a tad faster if necessary to keep it from burying up. I fish over hydrilla and this works for me. When they aren't hitting artificials very well, i use a small piece of worm on the jig head instead of a plastic cricket. They love worms.

Great point!! When I was fishing below the dam I kept getting hung up with 2 jigs. I switched to using only one jig and it made a big difference.

Lots of good information in your post. Thanks for sharing

This is another great idea. I fish for white bass in Yegua creek. We call it the Yegua monster because it eats lures, LOL. I fished an entire day in the creek with a beetle spin without losing it. What brand of plastic cricket do you use with the beetle spin?

When I do have to switch to an artificial bait for Sunfish I usually use the Berkley Trout Worms in the natural color. I also love using some of the Gulp Alive products. As for lures I love the Little George and the small Betsy Minnow by Strike King! Both have gotten me very good results over the years.

Thanks Chuck

I've used the Little George lures for white bass but never downsized them to use for sunfish, that's very interesting. I do have a Bitsy minnow as well. I've used it to catch crappie before. My line kept getting stuck on the little treble hooks for some reason so it aggravated me though, LOL!!!

My favorite two are Southern Pro Hot Grubs and Southern Pro Triple Tail Grubs on jigheads.

My best weedless lures are Charlie Brewer Crappie Slider Grubs on Crappie Slider spider jigheads.

Plastic crickets are not always easy to find. The last ones I bought were custom made and sold on eBay.

Thanks Jagg, I have never used either. I will have to google those.

Blakemore Roadrunner Crappie Jigs are the best. Started using em last year. Great for catching Crappie and Sunfish. I have also caught a few nice bass with em.

Thanks Laker One, I also have one of those in my tackle box. It is larger and heavier as with most of my lures. Geared more to white bass, LMB and crappie. I will definitely try one in 1/32 ounce chartreuse color.

I have several in Chartreuse. Great all around color that works on just about any fish.

Walmart carries 1" crickets and 1" minnows by Gulp . I've caught all sorts of sunfish ( even a few channel cat ) using the crickets under a cork . I use a salmon egg / trout hook for the minnows . Just stick it through the head ( no weight ) and "swim " it around near the bottom .

If you really love those jigs you can convert them to weedless with some thin wire. You can jury-rig them with a piece of thick fishing string as well that you crimp at the hook to give it a semi weedless effect.

Personally I have never not caught a fish on a Rooster Tail. There is just something about them that drive Sunfish crazy.

I've never fished weedless but I bought this top water frog with skirts for legs that is weedless. I still haven't tried it but it looks promising.

As far as artificials for bream, check out "Bluegill Fly Fishing" by Terry & Roxanne Wilson. You can tie your own simulating a variety of baits.

http://www.amazon.com/Bluegill-Fishing-Flies-Roxanne-Wilson/dp/157188176X