What Size Lures?

Hey guys, I'm headed to the lower Guad for a much needed vacation soon and will be fishing for whatever bites!

I was able to pick up some rooster tails, some in 1/4 and some in 1/6 or 1/8... 1/8 is the lightest I'd be able to cast since I just broke my ultralight rod, and I was wondering if these sizes would be too large for bluegill or sunfish to be willing to bite?

If anyone knows if these lure sizes would be workable with trout that'd be nice too!

Just wondering if these are too big for the fish or not!

I'm no expert on gill fishing by any means, but I would think 1/8th might be a tad too large.
You might be able to cast lighter lures with the heavier rod though if you use a slip bobber; I can throw a 1/24 jig head & 1 inch gulp minnow decently with my medium light action if I use a slip bobber, doesnt work nearly as well with a fixed bobber tho

That's an idea! I think I'll give that a try and see if it'll help me cast a lighter lure more consistently. Thanks for the input.

All I use on the sunfish are artificial baits. I prefer small soft plastics such as crawdads, leaches, and worms. I also use Roster Tails, Bitsy Minnows, Little Georges, and small crank baits Chartreuse/Black in color. You should do pretty good. The sunfish are active and on the move. Hope to see a post on how you do.



I use the 1/8 oz for the lures.

Jig Heads. 1/32 oz. for the soft plastics or a size 8 hook on a drop shot rig.

Been targeting sunfish and Rios for a long time. They are a BLAST to catch on ultra light tackle. I use live worms 99 percent of the time. If I do use artificial baits it's gulp alive worms.



Side note: The anglers who I fish with that use artificial baits usually use soft plastics on a drip shot rig They get GREAT results.

Yup! Imma bring a bunch of red wrigglers and night crawlers as my default if I can’t get anything going! Thanks for commenting haha I know you’ve got legendary status on the forum!

Do you typically drop shot or use a bobber?

I personally do not drop shot. I fish the bait on the bottom, If the bottom is clean (not a lot of hang ups). I bounce the worm off of the bottom. Usually in the fall it's a medium retrieve to a slow retrieve. I usually keep the sinker about 6 inches from the hook. I use a size 6 or 8 long shank or cricket hook. Eagle Claw makes the best. As for a float. I fish a float when the bottom is not clean or if the fish are suspended. Certain times of the year, water conditions, and weather conditions play major factors on how I fish. The more you go after a certain specie of fish the better you will get. Experience is the best learning tool an angler can have. Good luck and hope to see more of your post.

Yessir! I’ll update on this thread when I get out there and start catching! It’s supposed to rain a bit unfortunately... but since the house is on the river side, as long as it’s not raining too hard I’ll be out there fishing!

Yeah, 1/6th oz is about as big as I'll use for sunfish and trout. One idea that may help is to use lighter line on your heavier rod to get some casting distance. Also, like said above, a float and fly/jig set up works well with a bit heavier tackle.

The Guad right below Canyon Dam was a ghost town earlier in the year when we were there. One trout: no sunnies in three evening hours. Hope you have better luck! Stay Safe!

Didn't have much luck with size, but found quite a few small sunfish! (not sure about the species actually)

This picture doesn't do them justice but they all had orange underbellies and green specks all along their bodies. They were really beautiful fish! All in all, I didn't have fantastic results in terms of fishing, but it was a much needed vacation so I'm thankful to the Lord that we had this opportunity to catch a break and relax along the banks of a beautiful river.

this is my favorite Mepps spinner color combo...size 0...there is a size 00 not shown that is even better for perch...talapia luv'm 2

https://www.mepps.com/information/aglia-dressed-aglia/121#B0ST%20S-G

At least you made out and that's what counts. Anytime fishing is a good time. Sunfish do have some very beautiful colors. The one you are holding is a Hybrid Sunfish. Pretty sure I see some Longear in the fish. Awesome post and looking forward to more Houston/Sugarland area post.

I just bought an ultralight rod recently so I'll look into getting those smaller spinner sizes! I've caught a monster tilapia from the ponds around here who I guess just happened to have a large enough mouth to hit a bigger spinner! But I'm sure I'd have an easier time targeting them if I downsize!

Banker, I'm wondering if you have tips on fishing worms in a current? I know your preferred method of fishing is the good ol nightcrawler! I brought worms with me to New Braunfels, but it seemed like the water was a bit too fast/shallow moving for me to bobber fish?

Here's a pic of a sunfish I caught today in the Sugar Land area! I was told it's a green sunfish? I think it's interesting how there are so many species of sunfish! I'm gonna try to document the distinct types I catch from now on! It was really fun to fight on the tiny tackle.

Your fish is a very nice Bluegill. Texas Parks & Wildlife has all of the freshwater species listed on their web site. There is also good descriptions and pictures of each fish. The more you fish for sunfish the better you will get on their identifications. As for fishing worms in current I never use a float. I fish from off the bottom. You need to retrieve your bait with the speed of the current. If you retrieve it to slow you will get hung up .A good retrieve with the speed of the current usually get's some good results. I also use smaller split shots while fishing in currents. The more you fish the better you get. I usually loose most of my tackle while fishing currents and close quarter creek fishing.