During the hot summer months, bluegills are often difficult to find on major, man-made wetlands. Unlike smaller lakes and farm ponds, many of the major impoundments are deep and clear and this often causes bluegills to be suspended far from the banks where most panfishermen look for them.
Unlike smaller bodies of water, where recreational boating is not a major concern, many of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ lakes were also cleared of timber and brush before the land was flooded, creating a lack of natural cover for fish. Additionally, most large impoundments are removed during the summer to generate power, and what little brush and other prime bluegill cover is available along the shore is often left high and dry.
To catch thick, hard-pulling bluegill in these conditions, you have to find an alternative to willow trees and fallen trees that were very productive during the spring when the reservoir was at full pool. Bridge piers and houseboats provide excellent cover for summer bluegills on deep, clear lakes.
Almost every barrier of any size is crossed by at least one bridge. Many concrete bridge piers stand in 50 feet or more of water. The ghats are covered in the form of shade. Brightly colored sunfish hang out close to piers, usually at depths of one to 20 feet.
Apart from providing shade, bridge piers are also a source of food. The piers attract small baitfish, which bluegill prey on. In many cases, insects are also abundant around bridges because they nest on the man-made structure, and terrestrial insects often cross water on bridges and fall or are blown over by the wind. Birds, especially swallows, like to nest under bridges and they leave food in the water, which bluegills eat.
You can fish each pier of the bridge, but I have found that the last pier closest to the landing at each end of the bridge produces the best, unless they are in very shallow water.
I discovered the bluegill-producing potential of houseboats one day as I ran out to the bridge pier to fish. It was a warm, sunny August day and you could see 20 feet down into the water. I couldn’t catch a good bluegill on the shore, but I managed to catch several nice fish in the shade of the bridge piers. My problem was that I fished every bridge pier within 20 miles.
As I walked back towards the dock, my attention was drawn to the dark, shadowy depressions created by the overhanging decks of several houseboats moored near the dock area. I speculated that perhaps bridge piers were not the only man-made structures that housed summer bluegills.
It took only a few attempts to answer the question. A well-fed, very dark bluegill nails my small jig as it slowly sinks to the bottom of a bright green and white houseboat.
The same factors that attract warm-weather bluegills to piers also attract adventurous panfish to houseboats. Houseboats provide shade and attract bait fish. In addition, residents of many houseboats throw food scraps into the water, providing bluegills with a smorgasbord of unusual delicacies.
The houseboats I usually fish for bluegill on are tied to cables rather than slips. Many commercial docks have a fleet of houseboats anchored in a protected bay or bay. Houseboats are occasionally taken out.
Not all houseboats attract and hold schools of bluegills. Boats with wide, hanging decks that completely surround them are best. The overhang of the deck provides a large shady area and allows enough clearance between the overhang and the water so you can drop a jig under the deck. Small houseboats with sides that drop straight into the water, and only a small hanging deck on one end, are not good bluegill producers.
Which side of the houseboat offers the best fishing? To find the answer I usually have to try all four sides of rectangular shaped boats. Many times, I have caught eight or 10 bluegills from one side of the houseboat and failed to catch even one from the other three sides. Sometimes, the productive side was more shaded than others or the surface of the productive side was blown by the wind. But, in many instances, each side appeared the same and yet the bluegills were only on one side.
I use a 1/16- or L/32-ounce hair jig, attached to a small piece of an inch-long night crawler. The worm gives a little extra weight to the small jig making it easier to cast, and the bluegills artificial works better when tied with live bait.
Read Next: Best Bait for Catching Bluegills (and Other Panfish)
Green or black jigs have been the most productive for me. To cast and retrieve light lures, you need a light-action rod and a matching spinning or spincast reel. Use six-pound or four-pound-test line and you’ll have no trouble getting the bait down to where saucer bluegills are hiding.
When fishing bridge piers, cast the jig and night crawler parallel to the pier edges and allow the bait to fall slowly on semislack line. Most of the time, you will feel a slight tick on the line as the bluegill inhales the falling lure. Once you’ve done this, set the hook. You typically hook into a deep-pulling, circle-running bluegill.
Don’t waste too much time on any one pier if you can’t find any action. Let the jig fall several times to both ends of the pier and then drop it a few times to both ends. Let the jig set in a depth of 15 or 20 feet. If you don’t connect, go to the next ferry.
When boarding a houseboat, keep your rod tip close to the water and place the small jig and ‘crawler’ under the overhang. Let the lure fall 10 or 15 feet. Bluegills under houseboats generally do not linger as deep as bluegills in front of bridge piers, perhaps because there is no deep vertical structure.
Hot, sunny days with only light wind are best as the sunny sky concentrates the fish in shady areas and the light wind does not interfere with the accuracy of your cast.
Bring a cooler with you and stock it with ice when you fish. Temperatures near the water surface will be in the mid 70s or 80s, and using a fish basket or stringer is not the best way to keep your catch in good condition. Get those fat bluegills on ice quickly and you’ll be glad you did when it’s time to fry the fish.
This article was originally published in the August 1985 issue of Outdoor Life.
