When it comes to catching bluegill, tradition run deep in the freshwater world. If you pay attention, you’ll find that old-timers remain firmly attached to simple baits like pork rind while younger generations prefers fancy plastics. While today’s marketing seem to indicate that advanced equipment is necessary for success, this mentality negative impact your fish-catching potential more times than not.
Companies does well by promoting certain retrieves and rigs, but when it comes to catching fish, keeping things simple typicaly reigns supreme. “Bluegill are scent-oriented but also very visually oriented. They see what’s moving around them, smell it and they react.
Live bait triggers an instinctual reaction that we can’t realy mimic well with artificial baits. Once you grasp their biological makeup, then you’re no longer going against nature. You’re working with it.
Why Old School Live Bait Works Best
Why Simplicity Beats Technology
It’s not nostalgia, its effective.” Cheaper and long lasting, pork rind make an excellent bluegill offering. Not only does it stick to the hook well, allowing even small fish to frustrate big guys. But it doesn’t slide off like a minnow can.
And the smell seem to carry very well in dirty water. For some reason, many fisherman view this as a novice option, but you’ll find tournament winners using pork rind to get consistant bites. Don’t go overboard with the pork rind.
Using Pork Rind Bait
How you give it away are more important than how much you give away. For instance, a small piece; about the same size as a grain of rice; is usually preferable to a big wad. The little bitty ones will float down in water like tiny crustaceans or insects.
When the bluegill pick up on the bait, you don’t want him to be able to just nip at ends; you want him to get all of it in his mouth. Lighten your rod pressure and when he twitches, set the hook lightly.
Live Minnow Techniques
Another benefit of using minnows are they work well in clear water. Bluegill can detects bait from further away then other lures like pork rind, which they might find too still. The natural action of a live minnow are impossible for them to resist. To get the most out of your live minnow you want to make it as lively and alive as possible.
With a split shot rig, the minnow will stay down near bottom where bluegills is feeding and move freely about. It takes some time but can also produce bigger, trophy class fish.
Worms and Leeches for Deep Water
When the fish switch it up use worms or leeches Leeches are especialy good in deep water where their slow deliberate action can triggers bites from more sluggish summer fish.
Worms offer action AND aroma which is great in just about every situation except one, worms deteriorate rapidly and must be re-baited regularly. It is a small price to pay considering the number of strike you’ll get.
Simple Rigging Setup
There’s no need to get fancy when catching bluegill. For nearly any successful outing you can keep it very simple; a size 8 hook with a little split shot rigged to your line will be enough. The more elaborate the rig, the heavier it is and the more drag it create on the bait. Bluegill are very aware of unnatural resistance and won’t touch it if it feel funny.
Let the bait do the talking; then feel for the slight tap when they bite.
Returning to Basic Angling
“Technology lets you find the fish; it doesn’t get them to bite.” “A sonar unit can shows you a school of bluegill beneath a dock but it won’t make them bite. After getting on top of the fish, it’s back to the old ways.
You cast your bait out there, drop it down, then wait for a bite. No matter what the technology trend is, it’s still just an angler-fish deal.” Respect the natural order of things Live bait is old school because it work. And it’s real.
It move and smells right. Artificial lures may look like the real deal but in the end they’re still an imitation. Want to catch more bluegill?
Put away the gadgets, go back to the basics and trust the process. Grab some pork rind, leave a little piece on the hook and let ’em have at it. They should of been there for what they know.