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The best water temperature to fish for Bluegill is in the 70 degree range. Bluegill can be caught on mealworms, small pieces of night-crawler, small Plastic grub worms , small artificial flies or small spinners. The world record Bluegill weighed in at 5 pounds 7 ounces. That fish was caught somewhere in South Carolina. If help is needed buying fishing gear for Bluegill click on one of the links on the left side of the page.  Below is a diagram of a typical Bluegill setup.

 

 

 

 

The Fishing Pole, reel and tackle we mention is only a suggestion.  However, we want you to get started in the right direction. Without the PROPER fishing pole and tackle, your fishing experience can be frustrating.  To save you the frustration we have done some pricing,  and field testing on various brands and types of fishing  equipment. We looked for quality  at a reasonable price.

 

We chose the ShakeSpeare Ugly Stik SPL 1100 utra-lite  4 8" Pole and reel combination. We feel this is a good choice for bluegill and lighter weight fish. These are very durable poles, and if taken care of it should last many years of fishing. The negative… This fishing  pole seems to be a little heavier than comparable poles. 

 

 

We have done some pricing, and field testing on various brands and types of fishing equipment. We looked for quality and a reasonable price.  We chose the ShakeSpeare  Ugly Stik SPL 1100 utralite 4 8" Pole and Shakespeare 2500 spinning reel combination. This pole and reel is sold as a combination. We had new 4 pound test Ande clear line put on the reel at our local sporting goods store. We feel this is a good choice for bluegill and lighter weight fish. These are durable little reels, and if taken care of it should last many years of fishing.

 

 

 

Size does matter !!  The proper fish hook is as important as choosing the correct fishing pole and reel for the targeted species. Bluegill have a small mouth, so in turn a smaller hook should be used. A good hook to start with is called a bait holder hook made by Eagle Claw, and the size we chose to fish Bluegill with is a 8.  The bait holder hook has barbs on the shank to help hold the bait higher on the hook, therefore leaving the point open for better  penetration when setting the hook. (Setting the hook Means pulling back sharply on the pole when getting a bite from a fish).  We do not work for any of the companies or manufacturers on our website. However, we want you to get started in the right direction choosing fishing gear and tackle that will work well for you at a reasonable price. There are many companies that make very good fishing gear that could work just as well.

 

 

The weight is used to hold the bait under water, and when casting it also helps get more distance.  If using a 1 inch float a good weight size to start with is a 1/4 oz. to a 3/8 oz.  Using too much weight can cause the float to submerge under water.  If the float is more than half way submerged try using a lighter weight. Not using enough weight can cause excessive movement of the float on the surface of the water by the wind. If the float is being blown around try a little more weight. Putting on just the right amount of weight is one the anglers biggest challenges so don t feel too badly if that adjustment takes some time.

 

 

 

Bluegill like food that is suspended in the water. Using a float is a common way to hold bait off the bottom. There are many different types and styles of floats. The float we chose is a foam type float. They will not fill with water and seem to be more durable than most plastic types.  All floats  can be adjusted for fishing variable depths of water. Float sizes that work well for Bluegill are the 1 inch or the 1 1/4 inch. They are large enough to be seen on the water, and small enough to reduce movement by the wind.

 

 

 

Anglers use a swivel for several reasons. The swivel helps keep the twist out of the line, tie pieces of line together to make leaders and creates a place to tie the weight. There are many different types and styles of swivels. However, for Bluegill fishing we chose a size 10 interlock barrel swivel. The swivel we are using for this Bluegill setup is made by Laker. Just remember there are a lot of name brands that make the same type of swivel and most are inexpensive. When buying your tackle you don t have to spend a lot of money to get good gear and have an enjoyable fishing experience.

 

Fishing videos, pictures & reports from anglers and guides and charters.