Love those farm ponds

[dovehunter]

Around here from now right on through the summer I think the best way to catch them on or off the beds is a fly rod with weight-foward fly line and good assortment of poppin' bugs (particularly the ones with rubber legs). Even if it's not the best way it sure is the most fun.

[twomoons]

I have a fellow wanting me to come back to his ponds this year and I just have to find time. He has some BIG ponds and wants to clean out some of the smaller (under 4 pounnd) Bass and the black crappies. The last time we were there we got a master angler crappie that went 2p 4oz.

[jimiowa]

Jun 1, 2009 23:22:03 GMT -5 dovehunter said:

Around here from now right on through the summer I think the best way to catch them on or off the beds is a fly rod with weight-foward fly line and good assortment of poppin' bugs (particularly the ones with rubber legs). Even if it's not the best way it sure is the most fun.

I completely agree Dovehunter, that is the most fun way to catch them!! If Bluegills weighted 3-5 lbs no one would ever bother to fish for Bass!!

Two Moons, that sounds like a great opportunity! I'm not much of a Bass Fisherman, but dearly love fishing for Crappie & Bluegill.
Wow! 2p 4oz is huge for a Black, I've seen a few, very Rare Whites go up to 3lbs.

[Jack]

That is a big crappie- and they're a great eating fish, too.
Jim, since bass and bluegills are the same family, you might say the bass fisherman ARE fishing for bluegills.

[jimh]

crappie may be second to only Walleye when it comes to table fair!

[jabba]

A crappie out of COLD water is OK. A warm water crappie sux. I think even cold water crappies are good to eat, but not nearly as good as a blue gill. They are a lot more bland, while bluegills have some flavor.

Jabba

[dovehunter]

jimiowa:

I couldn't agree with you more regarding your hypothesis about a preference for super-sized bluegills. Truth be known, I am probably a bluegill fisherman who occasionally catches a bass.

jabba:

I will have to agree with you about the taste of crappy, though I do like them. I too think bluegills taste much better and certainly more distinctive than crappy. I haven't had one in years but, short of catfish, I think a big chain pickerel is about the best eating freshwater fish, at least in these parts.

[jmarriott]

I like to use these little jigs. 1/32 oz with a quarter sized bobber to cast it and keep it at the right level,



This is not a good photo. It gives you an idea. Tip with a piece of worm or bee moth.

The bad thing about the fly rod is you got to get wet in most places to use it well with getting caught up on the backcast. I uses a long spinning rod. (A combo with a fly rod reel also). A clear plastic bobber with a spider or popper bug. you can now fish from under trees or high weed banks and keep dry. They work better than the jig at the last hour before dark.

[dovehunter]

Jun 3, 2009 10:06:44 GMT -5 jmarriott said:

The bad thing about the fly rod is you got to get wet in most places to use it well with getting caught up on the backcast.

That's not a problem for me since I only fish from my boat. On the "farm ponds" where I fish the trees, brambles, and undergrowth along the bank would pretty much preclude fishing there anyway.

[jimiowa]

There Ya Go! I tend to use an 8 FT #8 Wt Berkley Cherry Wood flyrod and carry a small spinning reel in my tackle bag in case their out of range for flys. And The foam spiders with rubberband legs, small bobbers for depth control.
I have a nice Cabela #3 wt flyrod but won't risk it if there's a chance of a big Bass breaking it(which can happen in the cattails).

[Purebred Redneck]

Bluegill are still on the beds

I went out and caught 18 monsters with a couple smaller bass.


It's not really too much fun when you're using medium rods and 12 pound test line, but that's what it takes when you have 10 foot of grass to pull them through !