I have recently gotten into catfishing. I have heard that Bluegill can make excellent bait. I was wondering if anyone mind sharing how I could catch bluegill this time of year on Lake Lewisville? any help would be appreciated.

Thanks anyway......

Well Shep, look at it this way. What it someone went on to your favorite fish's forum and ask how to best catch them so they could use them as bait?

Try a cast net. Use only small ones (<4") for bait. Please leave the larger ones for sport or human consumption.

Woudlnt bother me.

Shep, me and my Grandson go to Baker Park near the house, a little community lake. We have not been since the real cold weather hit but went about 3 weeks ago because he wanted some cut bait for a trip to Tawakoni.

We used Walmart fishing worms on #8 Cricket hooks and caught 14 palm size gills in about two hours. I have lots of fun visiting and fishing with Grandson, even more than the catching of fish if you know what I mean.

We fish near the bottom in deeper water with a cork and move the bait very slowly. Bites were slow and "gentle" but we learned to jerk if there was any change in the attitude of the float. He had one of those porcupine quill floats that seemed to work better than my round bobber.


Anyway he used those for cutbait where we fish at Wind Point Park and did really well on the south end of the park where the stumps are. Said a couple big ones broke off on the stumps but managed to get several channels and blues in the 6 to 8 pound range.

Good luck to ya!

You might also check here:
http://www.catfishing.tv/Main/tips-section/TipsSection.html
Look under 'catching bluegill'.

Thanks!

they make great bass bait too. Put a big hook under the dorsal fin and use a milk jug or water baloon as a floater and just let the fish do its thing. When the bluegill starts movin like it was in a race be ready for the big fight.

Fisherwood,

I had to chuckle at your introductory reply to Shep. Funny but accurate to some degree.

Can't stay under with three milk jugs. Not with three he can't!!!!!

"We're gonna need a bigger boat! "

Shep pm me for a spot...

The advantage of using BG as bait is that they stay alive on the hook a long time. Good for trot-lines and jug fishing and turtle infested areas.

If you are using a rod, I like shad better. Doesn't matter if they are dead. You just have to re-bait more often but I think you get more bites.

I use a cast net and use a mix of whatever I catch. Sometimes a small BG ends up on my hook but that is only because I couldn't catch any shad or ghost minnows.