Thoughts on catching bluegill vs. bass?
New guy here in TX...
I thought it would be best for me to start learning fly fishing by targeting bluegill before moving to bass (and trout when I can take some trips). My buddy says bluegill are lame but I was thinking it would be a good place to start.
Any tips / tricks / thoughts? I have a 9ft 5wt rod.
Appreciate any, thanks!
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by willyswonka
Wooly buggers should do the trick. My favorite is an all white with some flashy stuff somewhere on it. Look for shallow ish places, with a bit of weed cover. Bluegills will go after pretty much any fly, as long as it's shiny and small enough.
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by elkcowboy
Thanks! Do you recommend any specific sizes?
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by willyswonka
I don't have a ton of experience fishing for bluegill, but I just started fly fishing (or trying to fly fish) and my first catch was a bass. It was at a pond I have been fishing for years with spinning reels, and I was so excited to get started that I went for it. I got caught in trees and had fly line all over the place and looked dumb as all get out and I caught an awesome bass on a small popper. If you want to catch bass, go for it man! I learn best making mistakes and seeing what works along the way. Unless you hook into a complete monster, I think you can figure out the rest on the fly. Good luck!
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by Dirtdawgs
Here in AL I am primarily targeting bass and bluegill. Using Boogle Bullets in mainly the Solar Flare color I have crushed bluegill. Toss it near a downed tree or some other place they could be hiding out, let it sit there for a second, then slowly strip it back in small jerking motions. Usually they inhale those suckers real quick!
I also use the Boogle Poppers for Bass and they have also produced some fine catches. The difference is that bass really like to chase something so with the Poppers you want to strip them quickly and make a bunch of commotion and movement that will drive the bass crazy. A friend of mine told me that "bass won't waste as much energy chasing something small", so don't be afraid to use big flashy poppers and streamers. This can be an issue with a 5wt. (what I am currently using). I am most likely going to purchase a 7wt. soon because bigger flies are really hard to cast accurately with my current set up!
Hope this helps and good luck!
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by CCdagger
This is very helpful! I’ll get some of those. Thanks so much!
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by willyswonka
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