Middle of summer, the waters are getting very warm and this is having the fish moving and changing their locations throughout the day. For the fish size, finding the areas that the bigger fish are relating to is the key to the puzzle.
The smaller fish seem to relate to the shallower waters and can be seen as you are walking along the shorelines. But those bigger gills, what may they be relating to since we aren’t visually seeing them with some regularity.
One place that we are finding those fish is in, under, and around the docks. Especially, first thing in the early morning before the sun comes up over them and also, before there is any activity to disturbing them and moving them away and back to the deeper waters.
One approach that has been working very well is fishing with the Northland Tungsten UV Fire-Ball Jig that is tipped with an Impulse Water Flea that is positioned 12-18 inches below a Lite-Bite Slip Bobber. With the heavier tungsten jig, the bait gets back to the fish quickly, and also, any little movement of the float, the jig moves as well keeping the bait moving and making it more visible to the local fish.
Target areas around the docks that have been working are inside corners, around any of the ladders or other things hanging in the water, slowly working the bait down the length of the dock and also there can be schools of these fish hanging off the ends away from the dock 5-10 feet away.
One nice thing about these bigger bluegills is that they will tell you very quickly if they are using a said dock, as they will bite fairly quickly after casting the bait out. After casting, letting the rings in the water dissipate, slowly retrieve your bait back until you find the spot that these fish are using.
Using light line, 3-4 pound test, and ultra-lite rods, those 8-10 inch gills will make the battle feel like you have hooked a monster. This is, the kind of old-school fishing, that we all grew up with and understanding when and why the fish use certain areas at certain times of the day, this will make your trip to the water that much more productive. Get up early and enjoy some good fishing before the hustle and bustle of the day gets started.
For more fishing tips and information, check out more of our fishing articles.