Bluegill

[Bill Babler]

It's on Baby!!!

Not hardly a month goes by that someone on this board is wondering about BIG GILLS.

I want to tell you now, they are here and they are BIG and MEAN. Most all the gravel points from Big M to the dam are just covered with them. I'm embarrassed to say that I should have taken a screen shot of them the last few days and it just did not register. I'm on trout for the next week, so I will try and explain what they look like. I have commissioned Bill Beck to take me a screen shot tomorrow and if he remembers, I'll post it.

Look in the 15' to 25' range. They are mostly suspended 5' off the bottom, but move up and down continually with their track looking like a capital WWWWW something like that. They are fast movers and darters. Their track is very narrow kind of like a fine line vs a magic marker being bass or walleye.

We had some of the largest ones I have ever seen yesterday, they look like the Hybreds you see in ponds. Talked to several guides and they were complaining something fierce about them. Hey, they will pull light crappie tackle like they want to bust it and they are more than eager to do it.

Best bait is a cricket on a drop-shot rig. Use light tackle and hang on. I am also hearing of some very nice cat fishing in the flooded pockets. Keep those dinner plate size gills for supper and slap the small guys, "If you catch any" on a cat fish catcher and you will do yourself proud right now on the Rock.

Get out there and get em.

Good Luck

[MOPanfisher]

You are killing me. Nice report.

[oldasdirt]

Nice report I fished dock ends in deep water with no love in the dam area lots of small ones. Did catch a few spots around the docks a couple of keepers all released. That wouldn't of been the case for the gills will try your suggestions tommorow Live and learn. Thanks

[Bill Babler]

When Table Rock gets hot, so do the big Bluegill. Most often you can find these fish on any of the long runnout points. They also like the timbered runnouts, but the trees are getting fewer and fewer as they deteriorate.

Water temps above 86 degree really position these fish, sometimes right at the thermocline, and is the reason that us Bass type fishermen are having a war with them.

Yesterday surface temps ranged from 89 to 92 degree depending on the time of day and your lake location.

They just love to tear the pinchers off a plastic craw and driver the jig fishermen this time of the year to the Gentlemen Jack bottle. Of which I am partaking of as we speak.

Start at 15' and work your way out keeping a close eye on your electronics for suspended fish. If you see one up and you are fishing the bottom, reel up to him. You will also see them in very tight clouds, with the WWWWW formations zigging in and zagging out of them.

Be aware that there is a lot to look at on the screen right now with lots of bait in the water. When you get good enough to pick the big bluegill out the threadfin and gizzard shad you need to pat yourself on the back as you are mastering the world of underwater Lookie Lou.

Good Luck

[JacobW]

Me and my dad had so many two weeks ago that I had to break out the electric fillet knife to clean them all, and had a bonus walleye to boot.

[Champ188]

A bit off topic but Donna and I are planning an assault Saturday morning on the big gills and redear out here in Bella Vista.They gotta be on beds with the full moon tomorrow. Yeah, I'm thinking dinner.

[Fish24/7]

Me and my dad had so many two weeks ago that I had to break out the electric fillet knife to clean them all, and had a bonus walleye to boot.

2 weeks ago they were really biting at Bull Shoals

caught a couple hundred fishing off the bank

cleaned 18, none had eggs in them

[JacobW]

I've cleaned only one that had eggs in em lately but the males are full of sperm so I'm not sure if they've spawned on table rock or not. Like to hear from someone that knows table rock more than my two years experience can offer.

[vonreed]

Great news, other than I gotta cut, tetter, rake, bale, and haul square bales the next several days. Uhh, maybe Monday or Tuesday. I'm sure I'll be plenty hungry for them after thinking about this till then. Thanks for the tips.

[mjk86]

Thanks for the info, this was very helpful. They are fantastic little fish to catch on light gear, pound for pound fewer fish pull as hard as bluegills!