Bluegill with livescope?

[Lowe 17]

Taking a few guys fishing that have minimal experience. Tried trolling, it was not very productive. I’m considering setting up the 9’ crappie rods with drop shot gear. Curious if I can locate and catch bigger bluegills for them? Preferably big enough to clean so they can take fish home. Anyone else trying this technique? I customarily fish from Cape Fair marina up to point 15 & beyond. 
 

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Bill Babler]

Have not been up the river, but main lake there are gills and nice ones in the 10’ to 15’ range on most all the gravel points and runs. 

Spoke to one of the dam area guides and he said anything under 20’-25’ and they would simply eat you alive. 
 

[Bgctrading]

The last few weeks they have ran us off of brush piles in that 17-24ft range. Bring alot of worms.

[Lowe 17]

I purchased gulp brand crickets & night crawlers. Hopefully, they won’t come off as easily as the real thing. 
Where on the main lake should I try.

[Bgctrading]

Any of the conservation brush piles in that depth will have a chance. Do you have the GPS of them on your phone?

[top_dollar]

          Generally, in my experience the bigger eating sized blue gills will be on flat gravel points between 15 and 30 FOW this time of year.  IDK about livescope but they are usually pretty easy to see on the 2d, just off the bottom.  I use drop shot or split shot rigs with whole crawlers.  Docks also hold a bunch, but they tend to be little guys especially in the shallower slips, and suspended under the floats.  The bigger ones still seem to set just off the bottom in deeper water, but underneath the boat slips.  All that said, my experience is limited to the Kimberling city area in mid/late summer.  

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, top_dollar said:

        Generally, in my experience the bigger eating sized blue gills will be on flat gravel points between 15 and 30 FOW this time of year.

The curiosity of that prediction is overwhelming.   What could possibly be the draw of flat gravel points?    

Why would bigger gills gather there, vs. let's say....the middle or backend of coves?  

I've read articles written by FB's where they claim that bluegill spawn 7 months of the year, but I've personally only found eggs and milt in bluegill during the Spring (March-May)

[top_dollar]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

The curiosity of that prediction is overwhelming.   What could possibly be the draw of flat gravel points?    

Why would bigger gills gather there, vs. let's say....the middle or backend of coves?  

I've read articles written by FB's where they claim that bluegill spawn 7 months of the year, but I've personally only found eggs and milt in bluegill during the Spring (March-May)

It is not really a prediction, there will certainly be some exactly where I said.  Idle around the gravel at point 7, or the points around schooner creek.  They will be there.  I don't know why, but in 25+ years of fishing for bluegills at table rock in the summer that is where I have found the bigger ones.  I don't often see them suspended in the middle of the channel, but they do suspend around the Kimberling city bridge.  I never fish the back end of any coves in summer, so I couldn't tell you what is there.  I have fished docks and brushpiles quite a bit, and as I mentioned, they are generally smaller fish. 

[fishinwrench]

4 hours ago, top_dollar said:

there will certainly be some exactly where I said. 

I have no doubt.   I was just curious as to WHY.  

On Lake O you can find bluegill under just about every dock, and along bluff banks, and in the very backends of coves, or around bridge pilings........Or you can find them suspended out in the middle of nowhere on any given day.   

The only problem with either of those location patterns is that they are ALL runts.   For some reason we just don't grow bluegills over 8" here 🤷‍♂️.    I suspect it's because of a lack of forage.   Finding a location where the 9-11 inchers live would be really cool.....but I don't think such a location exists here.

[Lowe 17]

I really appreciate the feedback. I fish the brush piles but it’s always dink fish. The gravel is better spawning habitat, I’ll definitely look there for deep larger gills. TRL is still a challenge, trying to get the first time anglers on the fish. 
 

Thanks again,