Anyone fishing Athens for gills ?Wantin to put grandkids on some biguns.Thanks Darrell

I fished (fly) there last week in my kayak from the bridge and worked all the way back. I caught a lot of fish, probably around 35 in 5hrs of
fishing (RE, BG, Bass, hooked a gar for a minute), especially back where it splits into 2 arms but the biggest sunnie was only 9" and most 6-7". I'm going the other direction next time. Still learning the lake but I like it so far. Let me know if you find a Redspotted Sunfish hole.

Had a friend of mine who fished Athens a lot. Do not know his spots but he always caught nice Bluegill. There have been several post made about Athens last year and all had good Bluegill catches.



Side Note: Hopefully someone who fishes Athens will respond.

Thanks guys

I almost always carry my finesse tackle with me, live on and fish Lake Athens a lot. My largest bluegills have been around 10" with one over that at 10.5" or so, some likely right at one pound.

For the larger gills, I always go to the boat houses across from the boat launch and work on the side casting a shadow . . . fish at and back into the dark. I use a jighead and a small black grub with a chartreuse tail, pitch or cast them and usually get bit on the drop before I turn the reel more than a time or two.

And, if you go under the 2495 bridge and look straight across, there is a long bank of reed grass with pads in front of it. You'll hear the bluegills up in the pads "smacking" and they are easy to catch in numbers there, too.

Funny: I was out a few days ago bass fishing. No luck, at all, with my usual dependable wacky rig. But, I was in my kayak right in the middle of the pads near an "opening" and I could hear the bluegills smacking . . . eating bugs off the surface. So, I holstered my bass rod, reached back and grabbed my little 5 ft. St Croix rod with the tiny lure and I flipped it into this open space. Boom! I get one on and as I have mentioned elsewhere I thought it was one really solid bluegill. No, this one was pulling my kayak. I reeled up on my 2 lbs. braid, it pulled me closer and the fish went down and sort of buried itself in the coontail. I pulled up to it, and hand reeled the line a few feet . . . and I had caught a bass just around 4 pounds. On two pound braid!

It was a new record for me in terms of the size I have landed with this tiny braid. I almost always catch a bass on my ultralight gear . . . they seem to love a tiny tid-bit to eat. This one, its size, sort of surprised me.

Brad

Athens is a good sunfish lake. Have a friend of mine who's brother lives close to the lake. His brother always catches a few for dinner when hungry for Bluegill.

I have seen some good sunfish reports coming from Athens. I have not seen any for awhile.

I also live in Athens and fish the lake a lot. The location above is where I do a lot of fishing and I take some good gills there. I use a float tube and I can get right up into even the thickest stuff. I either use a small black marabou jig (1/64th oz) or worms. That being said I'm fighting off the stomach flu and can't go on the water right now so would someone please go catch some?

Flags, we'll have to meet up one day soon. I'll tow your float tube behind my little kayak!

Well, I first got into them as soon as I started fishing off my neighbor's boat house. I have one being constructed as I type.

Then, later launching from the boat ramp area in my kayak, I have found them in several places. One has been over the length of the stated lake record, others right at the 10" mark. These larger ones have been caught up in the shadows under the boat houses.

No, too much trouble to register a new lake record and I am absolutely certain that lots of larger than the current record panfish have been caught out here, just not submitted. One article I found about panfishing said they caught several well over the stated record.

Here are a few beauties off of Lake Athens. Brad

Nice fish Brad.

the little island coming out from the launch going left is good in the pad field. I only bass fish it but I heard bluegill popping the whole time I was back there and saw some too. I wouldn't recommend you do fo this but my dad was using a deep crank near the houses across from the last point going to the dam in the submerged stump field and caught a 2 plus pound bluegill.

That would double the weight of the lake record . . . but I don't doubt it for a minute.

As I have mentioned, I found an article where the guys were exploring the best panfish lakes in Texas. They fished Athens and said they caught several well over the lake record.

2 lbers. are very likely because it is a healthy lake, spring fed to some degree, lots of cover for them to hide out, to spawn successfully. That, and the lake is loaded with food sources for panfish including bass fry!

I can't wait to catch some giants!

Brad

When and where? Shoot me a PM and we'll make it happen.

You've been "shot!" Check your PMs.

Yes, we'll find a time and target some panfish!

Brad