Bluegill

Bluegill

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
The tasty little panfish, bluegill, is native to eastern North America, but is now found all throughout the country. They inhabit almost every pond, lake and other bodies of quiet water in the United States. They prefer shallow water with vegetation and fallen limbs and logs for protection.

Bluegills are not picky when it comes to food. In the wild they feed on insects, zooplankton, worms, and small fish. They will eat almost any human food scraps thrown into the water, such as bread, corn, and crackers.

There is an article in Field and Stream called Slab Work and I called Senior Deputy editor Colin Kearns to ask about it. It's no secret that on hot late-summer afternoons, bites from most freshwater species come few and far between. Largemouths, smallies, and trout often turn sluggish, which can make for a maddening day on the water. But that's when bluegills can save the day. With a little creativity and savvy, you can coerce these little fighters to open up—and score a full stringer in the process. Field & Streamfound out how three pros make it happen during the final, blistering weeks of summer.

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