Lure Recommendation for Bedding Panfish

[Tim Elliott]

While sight fishing for snakehead yesterday evening, I spotted more than several panfish beds within the shallows, nestled in the grass. They are most likely pumpkinseed sunfish, as I have previously caught a handful last year.

I had a beetle spin tied on for perch, but the water was too low and the grass too high for it to be effective. What lures would you use for this situation?

[Mark]

If you can fly fish it's almost too easy.

Any surface fly -- simple foam spider, a popper or a gurgler, is irresistible to them.

IMG_3744.jpg, P1050101.jpg, P1050110.jpg

Or. if you want to go underneath, you can drop a Bluegill Bully on them:

Bullies.jpg, P1050099.jpg

And then there is a simple wooly bugger:

P1050090 (3).jpg

They'll hit a variety of flies. Most of the time it pays to be patient. Let the surface fly sit motionless and move the subsurface fly very little.

This is a great time of time of year to catch them.

[toadfinger]

1) It's too easy. Let them alone to reproduce in peace.

2) If you must, release them promptly and gently so they can get back to procreation and guarding their nests.

they and their offspring will be available in the future for your sport

[Tim Elliott]

Mark- I have tried fly fishing only once in my life, but for the most part I only use conventional gear at the moment. However, I am eager to fish with you soon so that I can observe your magic happen with the fly rod.

Toadfinger- you make a great point and so I will leave them alone to do their thing. I think that I will focus more on white perch, snakeheads, and carp.

[DanMarino]

My favorite is a pink floating foam spider on the fly rod for bluegills.
Like Mark said, let it sit there on the surface.

Are people genuinely worried about the reproduction of bluegills in Maryland? I think we all on here try to be good stewards about our natural resources. We enjoy fishing and being out on the water in nature. After all, we are here because this is a kayak fishing website.

I would be more concerned if I saw groups of fishermen with 5 gallon buckets keeping everything they caught. I know of a nearby private body of water that is currently having a problem with groups coming with buckets on the private property to fish.

[Tim Elliott]

I am with you in that those who keep bucket loads of fish draw major concern for a fishery. As far as I’m aware, I’m the only one in the area who seems to know about these tidal sunnies...everyone else on the creek typically focuses on rockfish, white perch, and catfish. I typically release them anyway since I don’t catch them as often as I do white perch. The idea of western shore tidal pumpkinseeds really intrigues me, especially considering that the Eastern Shore rivers are more well-known for their diverse plethora of panfish.

[Mark]

There are many lines drawn by humans when it comes to fishing.

Some use organic bait. Some use live bait. Some fish only with artificial attractants be they lures or flies. Some insist on treble hooks. Some swap their trebles with inline hooks. Some crush the barbs of their hooks. Some fish only catch and release. Some keep every legal-sized fish they catch within regulations. Some keep every fish they catch.

My point is that we can become highly moralistic about the many lines drawn in fishing and judgmental about how others fish. But here is a cold fact that everyone of us who fishes for recreation must face: To succeed in our endeavor we must impale a living creature with a sharp object and remove it forcefully from its preferred environment.

Do we inflict pain during that act? Of course. Do we inflict physiologic trauma to the fish? We know that they can become so weakened from a long fight that they may perish from exhaustion after release.

So, no matter where we draw the line in our individual fishing styles, we cannot escape the fact that fish on the other end of our lines are not having the best day of their lives. Yet, we continue to pursue our hobby.

Now, another fact is that the vast majority of fish we catch and release do survive and live to reproduce and frankly, to be caught again. They’re remarkably resilient. Additionally, the expenses we incur to fish from the licenses we purchase in each state to the tackle we buy provide funds to support our fisheries throughout this country in research and sustainment of their environments. The fish need us dedicated anglers and our various conservation regulations and our money to protect their very existence more than ever in this crowded world we live in.

As to bluegills (and bass), they do not all spawn at the same time in a given body of water. They queue up, moving from deeper water to shallow water as they prepare to reproduce. To be honest, I do not target beds. I don’t need to. In all the bluegills I have caught this spring and that includes those whose photos I posted in this thread, not one to my knowledge came from an active bed. (You can usually tell because their bodies and fins will be scarred from the act of spawning.) In fact, I have not seen one bluegill bed in the water this spring. I have been out only twice since this pandemic started. You do not have to target beds to catch bluegills and bass in the spring. Plenty are waiting for their turn in the sack in shallow waters right now. I happen to think they are great fun to catch and release – although as I mentioned above, the fish themselves certainly do not agree with my assessment.

Tim -- We've exchanged contact info in the past. We live in the same area. Yes, we need share the water for a session or two. And if you want to try the long rod, goodness knows I have spares. But I fish with conventional tackle too.

[Tim Elliott]

Very well said Mark. You touch upon the many points that consists of our hobby in such thorough detail. I wish had more to add but you have covered so much, which is why it is pleasure to have you and some other members on this forum who share their vast knowledge and experiences.

You are correct in that at this point in humanity, it is up to us anglers to use the various resources in which we can help preserve the hobby and sport that we love and enjoy so dearly. I will shoot you a message later this evening to discuss a future outing together.

[AintMisBehavin]

Mark are you going to help me set up my fly rod or do I have to take it to Bass Pro and then buy $200 worth of stuff? LOL! You helping would be cheaper by far.

Gregory


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mark]

Gregory,

I'd be glad to help you to set up if you have the rod already, show you what you need if you don't and also give you casting pointers.

You cannot escape basic costs, just as if you were outfitting yourself with an ultra-lite spinning outfit for panfish. But as I said in an earlier post, you do not have to spend a fortune for serviceable fly fishing gear today.

I actually went out looking for bluegills on the fly this past Thursday. But these two fish got in my way:

P1050128.jpg P1050132.jpg

Great fun on the fly. But I caught no bluegills.