Jon Splane wrote:
Geez wrote:

I have a relative new pond. I'm trying to stock it with bluegills for
the grandkids when they come over. This is Oregon so temperatures are
in the 60's during the day and 30's and 40's at night. The 3 bluegills
I now have in the pond were caught when it was warmer and they don't
seam to be feeding at all now and my fishing, at a neighbors pond,
lately has been very spotty. I've read numerous posting about winter
bluegill fishing and am wondering if most of the things said are theory
or do bluegills pretty much stop feeding during winter.

The last two times I fished I caught 1 bluegill each time and it was
always on the first cast and then I could see them approach the bait
but would not bite. I've been useing crickets and wax worms for bait.

Anyone with fishing reports specifically about bluegill in winter.

Geez

I've fished for bluegill probably a couple hundred times in the 30 years
I've lived in western Oregon. By the end of October the bite is pretty
much dead in all but the largest/deepest lakes that cool slowly. From
mid september to mid october the bite is usually hot. The fishing
doesn't materially improve until mid to late April with May through June
seeing another peak in activity.

I often fish for perch in the winter in lakes that contain bluegill
also. I rarely catch one. I grew up in Michigan where it is fairly
easy to catch a lot of bluegills through the ice in the middle of
winter. Why they are so hard to catch here in the winter I don't know.
If anyone out there has advice on how to catch them here in winter I
would love to read it here.

The best advice I have is to use a smaller hook, about a #10, and
lighter line, smaller baits etc.

Jon

Hi Jon,

The main reason I asked this question is that I have read that bluegill
were oftern caught through the ice in the East. Strange thsts our
locals shut down this time of year.

What do you use for bait when fishing for perch?

I'm using 2# test mono and a #8 long shank hook. When I caught the few
I've gotten they bit on crickets. I guess they are freeze dried ones
but they are soft and not brittle like freeze dried.

Geez