Texas Fishing Forum

What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish?

Posted By: Laker One

What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/07/21 03:20 PM

Looks like the Bluegill/Sunfish year is fixing to kick on. Warmer weather is coming up and the fish will be starting to get very active. What is your "Go To Bait" while fishing for Bluegill/Sunfish! hmmm
Posted By: Pot licker

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/07/21 05:14 PM

Laker i think you know our answer!! JIGLYF jigs thumb
Posted By: rickt300

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/07/21 06:36 PM

I usually catch them for bait and use worms.
Posted By: Catyakker

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/07/21 07:36 PM

Been out Gill hunting every day this past week, fishing several community lakes and area Creeks. The Creeks are on fire with 6-9 inch males, catching over 10 per hour. The several community lakes I fished, not so much. Lucky to even catch one, on the same water bodies that were really paying off right before the big freeze and on day three after. Nothing but Ditch Pickles since. Bass are really on the move with several that I have seen sitting on their nest. Of course my go to bait is Walmart live Worms. But I think I'll go fly fishing in the neighbor hood creek this afternoon using my 2 Wt Glass rod just for fun. fish
Posted By: banker-always fishing

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/07/21 07:47 PM

What else is there. "The Bait of Champions. Worms" ! hooked



Side Note: The JIGLYF Jigs that both Leo and Yesenia are using might just be a very close second! hmmm
Posted By: Vogey

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/07/21 09:38 PM

No substitute for the Gulp Alive 1" minnow...that's my answer & am sticking to it... partyon
Posted By: JIM SR.

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/07/21 11:07 PM

Actually,.......I've started using meal worms for the last few years. No doubt that good ole red worms are the preferred
meal,...but for me meal worms are harder to steal off the hook. fish
Posted By: Gitter Done

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/08/21 03:46 PM

Do not target the Bluegill/Sunfish but I can honestly say I have caught most of my Bluegill/Sunfish on crank baits while fishing for bass.
Posted By: SenkoSam

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/12/21 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Laker One
Looks like the Bluegill/Sunfish year is fixing to kick on. Warmer weather is coming up and the fish will be starting to get very active. What is your "Go To Bait" while fishing for Bluegill/Sunfish! hmmm


Can't beat soft plastics rigged on light ball head jigs. 6 or 8# test braid does well unless I need a fluorocarbon leader.
Another set up is a float with either a light fur jig (my dog's hair) or soft plastic hanging down half way to the bottom.
Third is a spinning blade with soft plastic (Beetle Spin design).
4th is 2" tubes. (Funny how I did well with them under the ice for crappie a few years ago.)
Posted By: JohnF67

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/12/21 01:13 PM

For size- 1/8 Oz Strike King Bitsy Minnow, Gizzard Shad Color or 5/32 oz Matzuo Nanocrank in Shiner. (Caught my PB Bluegill on the Nanocrank and my PB Long Ear and Red Breast on the Bitsy Minnow.)

For numbers- Gulp Alive 1" Minnow (color doesn't seem to matter) on a 1/32d oz Trout Magnet Jig Head.
Posted By: Flags

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/12/21 04:09 PM

Same as always, 1/64th oz or smaller unpainted jig hook with a piece of crawler.
Posted By: jagg

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/21/21 04:58 AM

This is really a seasonal answer, but my go to is definitely the Mepps spinfly when I'm fishing less than 8' of water. If they miss the spinfly, I'll toss the JIGLYF jig behind them and clean up the short strikers. Works in the summer almost every time.
Posted By: z289sec

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/22/21 05:05 AM

Red wigglers for me.
Posted By: banker-always fishing

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/22/21 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by z289sec
Red wigglers for me.



hooked



Side Note: Gulp Alive also has a very good Red Wiggler. Does not work as well as live worms but is a good back up when you run out of the live worms. thumb
Posted By: doctorxring

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/22/21 12:45 PM

I’ve been spending most of my hook time with a Gulp Alive the past year or so. But I do regress sometimes and use live bait. I like to use live maggots best but also like to use red wrigglers. Gulp Alive and worms do have something in common though. They both will catch multi species very well.
Posted By: Laker One

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/22/21 12:54 PM

#1 Rooster Tails. #2. Bitsy Minnow #3. Gulp Alive Leaches. #4. Curly Tail Grubs #5. Small crank baits. woot
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/22/21 01:58 PM

A big fat whole nightcrawler on a 2-hook rig will get the big ones. bouncy
Posted By: doctorxring

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/23/21 12:37 AM


I like the sound of that ! Can you describe your two hook set up ?


Originally Posted by Osbornfishing
A big fat whole nightcrawler on a 2-hook rig will get the big ones. bouncy
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/23/21 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by doctorxring

I like the sound of that ! Can you describe your two hook set up ?


Originally Posted by Osbornfishing
A big fat whole nightcrawler on a 2-hook rig will get the big ones. bouncy



I use either an egg sinker with a split shot, or just a split shot, depending on how far I want to cast. The rig works for still fishing or trolling. I catch big sunfish, drum, bass, and catfish with the rig. The hook size is usually a no. 2 above a no. 4 mustard hood. I just snell on the upper hook with a 4 wrap uni-knot. One of these days I will post a video on how to tie it.

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Techno2000

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/23/21 10:10 PM

I tie on a small jig first, then come up about a foot, and tie a small 1" Surgeons Loop. Next I fold the loop together and push it through the eye of a 8# hook. This attaches the second hook to the loop, so it swings and wobbles the bait in an enticing way. The jig adds weight to keep this tandem rig straight when casting.
Posted By: boocat

Re: What is your Go To Bait for Bluegill/Sunfish? - 03/23/21 11:04 PM

have yall noticed a lack of worms at wmart? freeze??
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