I can't catch bluegill

[Quillback]

Launched out of Big M today, brought a couple dozen redworms and a dozen crawlers.  I put some effort into looking for gills, I caught bass, I caught little yellow bass, and I caught some small gills, but no gills big enough to fillet.  I just can't figure out how to catch big bull gills in that lake.

About 9 AM I gave up on the quest for gills, checked one of the deep spots for bass and they were there - briefly.  Caught one on top and 4 or 5 down in 40 feet on a swimbait.  Then they stopped biting and left the area.  That's when I called it quits.  Hotter than Hades at that point, and the lake was starting to crawl with boats.

You know what they say - It's not over until the fat lady sings.  I get back to the dock and there is a fat guy, wearing nothing but shorts, riding on a pickup tailgate circling around on the park road.  I saw that and it was over.

Surface temp was 90 when I started.

Also caught an 18' white bass:

 

[Bill Babler]

You’re catching bass at 40’ and I’m catching them under 10’ in 90 plus degree water. Crazy. 

You can only catch gills if you don’t want them.  

Caught this one, total luck 24” on a WP. It chased a foot long gizzard shad right by the boat and I underhanded the Pooper out there and it snarfed it. 

 

[rps]

Put in at Eagle Rock and go up river. Go to the flat at Stubblefield Branch. Rig a light c rig with a 3 foot line behind the weight. Use a #6 hook and half a crawler. Drag it with a trolling motor at .5 mph or less. Make a Z from shallow to channel and back until you find the magic depth. I guarantee the gills will be somewhere on that flat. If you are lucky you will also find a walleye or two. Try not to swear at the spots. 

[Quillback]

9 hours ago, rps said:

Put in at Eagle Rock and go up river. Go to the flat at Stubblefield Branch. Rig a light c rig with a 3 foot line behind the weight. Use a #6 hook and half a crawler. Drag it with a trolling motor at .5 mph or less. Make a Z from shallow to channel and back until you find the magic depth. I guarantee the gills will be somewhere on that flat. If you are lucky you will also find a walleye or two. Try not to swear at the spots. 

Thanks, I may give that a shot.

[top_dollar]

How deep were you fishing for them? Granted my only experience comes from 3 specific places in kimberling city, but my experience is that they like to sit right on the bottom in about 25 to 35 fow in mid summer.   I think they also like a whole nightcrawler more than a chunk of one.  I've tested that out multiple times. 

My best places have been in dock stalls in the afternoon with about 30fow under them on the bottom.  Little ones suspend around the floats but eaters are on the bottom.  They also suspend at the bridge pilings with the spotted bass in the afternoon, but its more bass than bluegills mostly. 

Since I'll be at Indian point this year and am not likely to run my POS boat to schooner creek, ill post my favorite summer time spot.  The eastern most point at the mouth of schooner creek is shaped like a thumb.  The whole point is good, but there is a spot where the schooner creek channel swings in close to the run out, and for the last 20 years that spot has been 100% for me. As you are idling in. You'll be in 90+ fow, the it will abruptly come up to 25fow and your graph will go crazy.  Everything will be there, but there is usually a big school of bluegills there, you just have to graph around a bit.  They are pretty distinctive on the graph right off the bottom.   I use a drop shot or split shot rig with about an 1/8 and a size 4 hook with a whole crawler.  

[Quillback]

Thanks Dollar - I did not get out any deeper than about 20 feet, so maybe they were out deeper.   Schooner creek is out of my day trip range, wish it was closer.

[Terrierman]

We catch them around bridge pilings.  Cricket hook, one split shot, 2 lb. line.  And a Cricket..  Cast and keep in touch as the Cricket sinks.  Works good on Stockton should work on TR too I would think 

 

[BilletHead]

8 hours ago, Terrierman said:

We catch them around bridge pilings.  Cricket hook, one split shot, 2 lb. line.  And a Cricket..  Cast and keep in touch as the Cricket sinks.  Works good on Stockton should work on TR too I would think 

 

                Been there done that many, many years ago. Works great!