Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2022 - 29

Above is a selection of fall Bluegill baits. Column 1: Makings for drop shot rigs to effectively fish Bluegill schools
in deeper water. Columns 2 and 3: Lightweight jig heads and subtle action bodies for jig and bobber fishing.
Column 4: Heavier jig heads with small hooks and action tail soft plastic bodies for casting. Column 5: Tiny
crankbaits with splitshots to get crankbaits deeper.
down in the vegetation or fall back
to slightly deeper water, but they will
quickly return to feeding.
On flood control reservoirs lacking
vegetation (such as Shenango River Lake, Mercer County),
the gathering of Bluegills in deep water appears less intense.
In shallow water, Bluegills stake out foraging grounds around
a cluster of stumps, manmade cribs/brush piles, old building
foundations, shoreline deadfalls, or other submerged debris.
How to catch Bluegills
Bluegills feed predominately on insects, larvae, nymphs,
aquatic worms, and other small invertebrates; large Bluegills
also eat small fish. It doesn't matter whether your lure
imitates a bug or a minnow.
The overall length of the lure and the size of the hook are
critical. One to 2-inch lures are optimum. A #8 hook is best
in a jig head; one size larger or smaller is okay. If you choose
a tiny crankbait, it should carry a #10 or #8 treble. Always
debarb both single hooks and treble hooks, making hook
removal quick and easy.
Shallow water presentations to consider include:
(1) casting and retrieving a small swim-tail grub or
tiny crankbait, although a small crankbait will require
additional weight; and (2) presenting a small subtleaction
jig suspended below a weighted bobber over
submerged vegetation or brush pile.
Use a #00 duo-lock snap with a crankbait to improve
its wiggle. Adding one #7 splitshot or two #7 splitshots
several inches in front of the crankbait provides
additional weight for casting as well as helping the bait
run deeper.
If unable to locate active Bluegills around shallow
cover, then use sonar to scan the points leading from
deep water to bays and flats. Upon finding a large
school, drop a buoy near the fish. The most effective
presentation is a drop shot rig with a 1/32- or 1/64-ounce
jig tied inline approximately 12- to 15-inches above
a ¼- or 3/8-ounce drop weight. Fish vertically around
the school by lowering the rig until it hits bottom,
then slowly raise the rig with your rod. Repeat until a
Bluegill smacks it.
September/October 2022
29

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2022

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2022 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2022 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2022 - 3
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