By Ronnie Parris
Hey folks, hope all is well with you. This summer has been a scorcher and doesn’t look like it’s gonna’ cool down any time soon.one species of mountain fish that gets overlooked is the bluegill. These great tasting, hard fighting little slabs of dynamite love the hotter temps of summer. Bluegill can be taken in a variety of ways from a fly rod with a rubber legged popper to small streamers, even dry flys. Probably my favorite is casting live crickets and catalpa worms that I get off my trees at my house.
Almost every lake and pond or slow-moving river system, has good numbers of bluegill and most of the time, they are more than willing to bite. Some of my favorite trips involve get a few kids over a feeding school of bluegill and watching that rod tip bend. Bluegill tend to love shade, so always check docks and submerged brush when you’re looking for these beautiful fish. Also, pay attention around cliffs as they sometimes suspend in large numbers in the cool shade on the cliff face. Any freshwater seep, be it a branch or trout stream pouring into the lake, will usually have good numbers of bluegill. Sometimes, if they are being finicky, I’ll use a bobber to keep my bait at just the right depth but usually, I’ll just use a small lead head or a number 6 hook with a small split shot above it for weight.
When they are bedding, pay close attention to the circular beds which sometimes get used multiple times. Also, use your nose. If you’re close to bedding bluegill, you can usually smell a real sweet smell. If you find a spot that’s productive but you’re only getting small, back off and try deeper as the bigger ones usually will be found there. And as always, take a kid fishing and make memories that will last a lifetime!
Ronnie Parris is owner and head guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited – Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, N.C., heart of the Great Smoky Mountains www.smounlimited.com; (828) 488-9711.