Hey guys, I plan on hitting local bodys of water to cetch some bluegill or sunfish. What is the best bait to use in these chiller months?

The best bait for sunfish is live crickets, but they are expensive and hard to find unless you raise them or order them on line - again very expensive because of the freight charges.

The most practical bait is Canadian Nightcrawlers. Cut or pinch them into 1-2 inch segments as you use them. In the cold weather you do not have to worry about the bait dying as you do in the summer.

Any bait you use in the summer will work but year round you will catch the most fish on the above two baits. Look at Chuck's Banker Always Fishing posts and you will find he nearly always uses worms. Nobody catches more sunfish than Chuck.

100 Percent on what Smithaven has stated. I am still trying to catch up with him on the number of fish he has caught over the years he has been fishing. I use worms just about 99 percent of the time while fishing for Sunfish year around. I love the Night Crawlers. During the hotter days I have a Coleman Ice Cube that I keep over the worm carton while I am fishing. When I am not fishing I keep them in the refrigerator. They last for weeks. I Texas rig em just like you would do a plastic worm for bass. I use the size six hooks. You can also break the worm up in one to two inch pieces or even have a couple of four inch pieces. During the spring,summer,and fall months I sometimes use the whole worm. This attracts the bigger fish. Hope this helps you out some. Let us know how you do!



Side Note: To The Texas Fishing Forum. Glad to have you on board!

Everybody has their favorite and mine is maggots. A little more trouble to source
and care for but this bait is dynamite for bluegill and is worth a little trouble. They
stay on the hook very well and are a very "clean" bait to use. No sticky fingers.
I use 3 maggots on a #6 Owner Mosquito hook.

Good luck in your pursuit !

I dont target Sunfish in the winter, but if i did, it would be with Canadian nightcrawlers.

WORMS!




Side Note: I prefer small spinner baits such as Rooster Tails,and Little Georges. I also love catching sunfish on the fly!

As a rule of thumb during the colder months you need to fish slower and use smaller baits. Waxies and maggots always worked well for me in the past (esp. up north) and would probably work good in a cold water pond. If the water is warm and/or spring fed worms would be a good choice and don't forget to see what is native to the area.

Drxring, do you use maggots down here? If so where do you source them if you don't mind me asking?

The only place I've found wax worms down here is at petco and petsmart in the reptile food section.

+1...or either order em off of eBay

Hi Mike --

Yes, I started using them last year.

If I'm going to buy a bunch I'll get them from Forked Tree Ranch as their price is the best, but you
need to buy 5,000 minimum. http://forkedtreeranch.com

If I'm going make a small buy I go with Speedy Worm. http://www.speedyworm.com

Both of these companies are top drawer.

Chris

Unless you are rigging a sliding bullet sinker above the hook, then you are Tex-posing or rigging weedless.

Worms. Just worms.