Bluegil on Cumberland

[jackhammer]

Taking wife to Cumberland this weekend and thought I might put a (fishing) pole in her hand and let her catch a bluegil. Where on Cumberland can I find the gils spawning? any help appreciated.

[mhall]

The spawn has been hurt this year due to the cold wet weather but I'm sure some can be found. Look back in th e creeks in pockets especially ones with wood or brush if you can find it. Start out shallow and if you catch all little ones use slip bobbers and start going deeper until you find the bulls. On Cumberland it's not uncommon to fish for the better gills deep, and I mean deep. My wife on a brush pile that I know of has caught some beasts at 30 to 40 feet before. Crickets will always catch you the better gills on the Big C also. She uses crickets tipped with Berkley Power Niblets, she'd kill me if she knew I told you that, lol. One day on my brush pile I watched that girl catch 4 gills over 10 inches and two around 12 inches and I'm not exaggerating they looked like dinner plates.

[jackhammer]

thank you Sir, I usually fish popeyes with meal worms, but if you think crickets would work better I'll use them. Thanks for your help. A firend of mine went to Corinth lake up on I-75 near Williamstown yesterday and caught 91 big gils and shellcrackers.

[LarryG]

Dont be afraid to fish the rock walls across from holcumb, there are a lot of gills there, fish at least 15 ft deep.Crickets are a pain in deep fishing, may I suggest either meal worms or pieces of night crawler.A good way to avoid snags is use a bottom bouncer, and your trolling motor. Make a loop with your main line, and attach a 2ft snelled hook. This loop should be at least 2to 3 ft above the bouncer, I loop a small snap swiver to the loop, and use light line for a snell. A size 4 wire hook will work fine. Just move along about 6 ft from the wall, and you should find fish.Another place you may want to try is any slopping sand bank, and start at least 20 ft and work shallow and deep. If you can find brush, more power to you.Deep water off of long points will also bring some gills, the smaller fish will be about 10 to 15 ft deep.The bad trhing is this will put you at the mercy of the wave making crowd, be carefull.

[mhall]

I've got to ask why are crickets a pain to fish deep you have totally lost me with this one, ever heard of a sinker, lol.

[LarryG]

Two reasons. 1 they are a pain to catch and hook, even with the cricket basket. 2 fish hit them so lightly at times you may be fishing with out bait. i do use them when slip bobber fishing. Yes they do tend to get bigger gills, and they are part of my arsenal for them. But a pop eye and maggot is hard to beat sometimes.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Taking wife to Cumberland this weekend and thought I might put a (fishing) pole in her hand and let her catch a bluegil. Where on Cumberland can I find the gils spawning? any help appreciated.

Do everything the goofey guy with the bid ears saud EXCEPT:
1. Use night crawlers, a whole one, and
2. Use a double hook set up below the slip bobber. To p hook is medium size, but make the bottom one a little tiny Gamakatsu. Second hook tied about 3 inches from the top.
3. Pit the night crawler head on the top hook, and the mid of the tail on the tiny bottom hook.
4. Use a light split shot under the bobber.
5. Weh you cast to teh good spot, the bait will sink slow and sideways. That means a bass might much it on the top hook, or a smallie might attack it, otr a flat head catfish. You will find 9-10 times hits at the top hook will be bass, and teh gills we demo the bait at the bottom. The amll bottom hook just about guarantees any gill that mouths it is caught.

[LarryG]

Used to use whole crawlers for almost everything. But at almost two bucks a doz, crawler pieces are fine for gills. What we would use up north, were small leeches, and you never knew what that tick on your line would bring.

[buds155]

My wife and I fished for bluegill a couple weeks ago to stock our pond. had
no trouble catching as many as we wanted. Fished a creek around bushes and fallen logs. Shallow, very shallow. 10 to 15 ft of water, fished about 4 to 8 feet deep, She used a chartruse green curly tale grub (small) on a jig head and did great. I used the crickets on a small hook with a bobber, and had a bite every time within 30 seconds. Good Luck!