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Okay guys, it is the month of May and to me that means bluegill and shellcrackers. What are your favorite flies for panfish?
I like a Sneaky Pete or a foam bodied spider for my topwater selection. My favorite subsurface fly is a beadhead Wooly bugger, because it can imitate so many different things. I also like an old style Muddler Minnow and a Clouser Minnow.
The most amazing discovery I've had since getting my fly rod is how CRAZY panfish go over flies. It's as much fun as you can have legally! I've had the most luck with Betts poppin' bugs, wooly buggers (that I tied!) in olive with chartreuse hackle or chartreuse with black hackle, or that deer body hair topwater fly I tied. Last Monday, I caught a 9-inch BULL bluegill with a huge hump on it's back on one of the wooly buggers. Awww, Yeeeeah!
Poppers and buggers baby! :D
They will also snatch up a dropper, like a bh pheasant tail. Got to love those big bull bluegills! :D
-Rich
[QUOTE=RICHYD4U;413471]Poppers and buggers baby! :D
They will also snatch up a dropper, like a bh pheasant tail. Got to love those big bull bluegills! :D
-Rich[/QUOTE]
Rich, I have heard of people using attractor style nymphs for panfish, but never tried it.
Black ants, brown cricket, damsels and the poppers. But like some of the ideal, might try tying some small clousers. I dont think that they are to picky about what the get but size seems important.
I'm with Tim and Rich on those flies, maybe throw in a size 12 BH Hares ear. My favorite popper period has got to be the block-head type, because I fish mainly in streams where current is present. Came across this one in fly tier or American Angler, I can't remember, a few may issues ago. So simple yet so effective. Just find some thicker closed cell foam, I like to buy those big foam letters at Hobby Lobby. While you're there pick up some of those googly doll eyes (with these, not only do you get eyes but two rattles to boot!) and some craft hackles. You will have to do a little bit of sorting to match some up, but what you get for $1.00 is way worth it for popper tails, the original recipe calls for yellow but, I like chartreuse, orange, yellow, green, olive, red, anything that really works for you. Straight yellow is definitely a killer though. For the throat hackle use red. So, cut the foam into the appropriate sized block for your hook, don't use a cube, you want it to be square in shape but not more than half that size in thickness. Cut a little groove in the bottom for the hook and hollow out some space on the sides for the eyes. If you don't inset them the fish will just rip them right off and don't forget to line them up evenly or you will have problems getting it to turn over right. For the standard you will need red thread, two pairs of matched yellow hackles for the "kicker" legs, one large red hackle for the throat, foam body, eyes, and my favorite adhesive, 5-minute epoxy. OK, start near the hook eye and wind a thread base for the body, tie off, mix the epoxy and affix the body and eyes. Allow a few minutes for the epoxy to set (as usual I am usually tying a set, so if you do the same by the time you get them all on you can continue on your first bug). Next tie on just above the hook bend and tie on those legs. If you like your flies durable leave a some thread to run through the throat. Tie in that hackle and wrap it tight. Now cut that loop and wrap that thread through the throat, tie it all off, whip finish, cement and voila! Redeyes, smallmouth, and rock bass crush this fly without thought or remorse, enjoy the vicious top water action.
[QUOTE=Tim_T;413504]Rich, I have heard of people using attractor style nymphs for panfish, but never tried it.[/QUOTE]
It definitely works Tim, give it a try! Bluegills love to pick up those droppers! :D
-Rich
found its hard to beat a san juan worm for big gills
[QUOTE=numbuts;416794]found its hard to beat a san juan worm for big gills[/QUOTE]
True. They can't resist that little tid-bit of chenille worm! :D
-Rich