when it comes to panfish fishing whats the best set up? such as test line, hook, bait, etc.? thanks!

I've been using a 5'6" ultralight spinning rig with 4# line. It will cast my hand tied 1/32 oz jigs (with size 8 hooks) on spinner rigs a good distance.

Before switching to the spinners, I put a slip float above the jig and weights and had a bit of success.

It is fun having a good bream make the drag of an UL rig sing. It is even more fun when you snag that odd bass. I landed a decent 11 inch bass yesterday while catching several dozen bream.

thanks! what kind of live bait would you use?

Sure you'll see a lot of opinions.

If I had one rig to use for all bluegill situations, it would be a light weight 7' graphite spinning combo. (not ultralight, a bit bigger / sturdier).

I'd use 10 pound braid, and use 6 pound fluorocarbon or a good quality mono like spiderwire or silverthread as a leader, about 2 feet.

I'd use a #10 baitholder hook.

I'd use Berkley Maggots as bait.

I'd use one or two bb size split spot weights, about 10 inches above the hook.

I'd use a pencil spring bobber, i.e. thill.

Cast beyond where you think the fish are. Retrieve very slowly, keeping constant movement on the bait.

It has been quite a few years since grandma Dede was a bream catching machine. Her three favorite live baits were crickets, crickets and more crickets.

Size 10 or 12 hooks would work better too. I've hooked several gills lately with the 8's and the hook came dangerously close to a fish eye.

As far as real live bait, to stimulate a bite, hard to beat earthworms. Best raised in a bin with lots of old fruit and coffee grounds. However they will test your ability to set the hook before your bait is stolen, especially if you use a bobber.

Crickets are great but a pain to catch / keep alive.

Grub worms are great, find a manure pile.

Soldier fly maggots are great (but not the ones you buy in the store that are too old and leathery). We'll see if these seasonal guests return to the compost bin.

May I confuse matters? Thanks.
4 pound test, 8 foot ultralight, MEALWORMS, tiny split shot, #6 long shank hook and the smallest float I can find, usually styro. I find mealworms to stay on the hook very well - you can catch 2 or 3 on 1 worm, and they're cheap, not bulky (fit 100 in a waterproof cigarette container) and easy to find at big box pet stores...

there is nothing like catching bream on 3 wt fly rod, i use #16 scuds and small poppers

Got to agree with that...but I like to use beadhead nymphs and buggers tied on 10's and 8's. Just caught a bunch of 'em this evening on that set up.

Fly fishing doesn't have to be expensive nor complicated....it is just a tool that works better than anything else for me on big BG.

agree 100%...i use an eagle claw granger 3 wt..cost 50 bucks, no name reel was 25 and el-cheapo line (4wt) was 16, i couldnt imagine a better bream catching machine

I'd have to say it's a toss up between the ultralight and the fly rod. I have a one piece ultralight with a WallyMarshall Pro Series spinning reel. That's my favorite, and it has hauled in litterally hundreds of bull gills from FF.
I also prefer 6-8lb mono and a brown crickett on a #6-#8 hook.

Anything heavier just isn't much fun.

Yep, like the man said.....

I like both, flyrod and ultralite. Flyrod for topwater bites and ultralites for deeper bites. Always carry both.

Flyrod for me too mostly. My bait of choice is mealworms. Mealworms are easy to grow, just get some Allgrain at a feed store, fill a 5 gallon buckt to 8 inches of the top and pour in a gallon of water. in 3 weeks you will have a seasons worth and they will keep on coming, when they are done in the fall cover it all with water and let it sour for chum.

Now that's an interesting tip and I'm going to try it...never heard of Allgrain in the feed stores around here...wonder if cotton seed meal would work?

p.s. the sour mash might be interesting also

could get to the point where you don't care if ya catch a fish or not

I like a couple of split shot above a small hook baited with corn. On an ultra light rod, lots of fun.

Cottonseed meal will sour to a horrible smell quickly and I use it for other projects.

Mine has always been a cane pole or ultralight.

We use a #10 long shank hook with a split shot and a cricket. We use the old style balsa stick floats.

Best set up depends on the situation!
Best overall for me is a 7' ultralight with some backbone to it.(BPS Micro lite) is what I use. You want something with a little punch as you will catch lots of bass, catfish, crappie with this setup. A good spinning reel, Shimano is all I use, with a smooth drag. Berkley Trilene XT 6 lb green moss and #6,#8 long shank eagle claw hooks. Tie a light carolina rig with a small splitshot just above the swivel, 18"-24" of leader. Use a half nightcrawler/mealworm/other, thread it up the hook and cast parallel to weedlines or at the base of standing trees, you WILL get bit! A longer rod also enables you to fish bobbers/slipfloats more effectively, shorter rods are a pain when trying to fish deeper than 6 ft with a bobber.

nothing like a 0wt with 2 lb test line

try a regular spinning rod and tie a fly 3 ft behind a bobber or clear bubble and it works great. cheap alternative to fly fishing