Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2014 - 33

Sometimes Bluegills seem to want the bait hooked in the
middle of the body, so the worm or maggot rides horizontal,
perpendicular to the line and the jig. At other times, Bluegills
will show preference for bait hooked at one end, so the
bait hangs downward in the same plane as the jig itself. It's
surprising how that subtle difference can sometimes attract
more bites. Have a friend rig his bait one-way and rig yours the
other way. You may soon see a pattern in who's catching the
most fish. Then, you can rig all your baits that way.
A good practice is to drop the jig and bait down to the
bottom, and crank up a few turns on the reel to suspend it. By
experimenting with different depths and locations, you'll find
biting fish.
Despite my earlier argument for simplicity, here's a little trick
that will help you catch fish with only slightly more complexity
in the rig. Use a high visibility ice fishing line of about 4-poundtest line for your primary line on the reel. The heavier, tinted line
is easier to handle and will help you detect subtle strikes even
when the fish doesn't jiggle the bobber. But, that conspicuous
monofilament fishing line is a liability at the business end of
your rig. To enjoy the best of both worlds, tie a 2-foot piece of
clear leader in 2-pound-test line to the end of your ice line. Tie
your jig to the leader, and the Bluegills won't be able to detect
line at their end.
We haven't noticed much difference in Bluegills' tendency
to bite at various times of day. Generally, you can go out during
the most comfortable time of mid-afternoon and make good
Bluegill catches. But, if you hope to catch some crappies in the
same water, timing is important. Like deer, crappies show a
marked increase in activity around dawn and dusk.

When you get a bite, best described as a gentle pull downward
on the spring-bobber, simply lift the rod in a smooth, upward
motion. Most times, you'll hook up. Hook-up percentages seem
to be higher when ice fishing than during the warm months. I
think that's due to the direct connection between the angler and
the fish. When you're fishing a bobber on a pond in the summer,
there's an acute angle in the line between you and the fish. This
is not so when ice fishing, so a moderate upward pull is all you
need to set the hook.
This is a good point to consider some Bluegill biology.
According to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission's
publication "Bluegill Management and Fishing in
Pennsylvania," prepared by the agency's Warmwater Unit,
Bluegill fisheries are complex systems. In some waters, qualitysize fish may be limited by Bluegill overpopulation, which
causes intense competition for food. While in other fisheries,
over-harvest of quality-size fish may be the reason that big
Bluegills seem rare. It takes a Bluegill about 5 or 6 years to reach
8 inches in length, so there are a lot of opportunities for fish to
rest in an angler's creel before it reaches "slab" size.
Liberal harvests of Bluegills are generally encouraged. To
increase your odds of catching nice-size fish, try one of the 17
lakes around the state under Panfish Enhancement regulations.
These waters are managed with a 7-inch minimum size on
Bluegills and other sunfish. Crappie and Yellow Perch have a
minimum size of 9 inches. For panfish species, the combined
creel limit is 20 for each species with the total creeled not to
exceed 50 panfish combined.
This winter don't miss out on catching Bluegills through the
ice. It's uncomplicated and productive. You'll wonder why you
waited so long to join the fun.

Lakes managed under the Pennsylvania
Fish & Boat Commission's Panfish
Enhancement rules produce
quality-size Bluegills
and other
sunfish.

PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * January/February 2014

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