Fishing tip of the week

Fishing Tip of the Week

Wednesday, 16 April 2025 08:18

Blue Gill Beds

by Mike Gerry

As we approach the heat of the spring and the end of the bass spawn, most people fail to realize that bluegill spawn 4 or more times a year. Their beds make for a great area in the warming water to find active bass.
Most bluegill beds are easy to find. Just look for hard bottom areas in 2 to 6 feet of water, you can’t miss them. Areas like scattered grass, stumps and water soaked wood make great areas for them to bed.
Bedding areas aren’t always the same size as they take on different areas from as small as 10 or so beds in a given area to hundreds in others. The thing to remember is the beds will generally be near deep water. Look for long flats with shells and gravel close to 10 to 12 feet of water with sharp drops with beds on edges of them.
One of the best ways I catch fish over bluegill beds is using top water baits. The noise and motion of buzz baits, or popping baits make for great top action and catching plenty of bass.
One key to me is making several casts and covering the area inch to inch. The key is not disrupting the beds.
Be precise, look for the blue gill moving about and target the beds either over the top or in the beds with soft plastics.
You accomplish that by keeping your boat positioned away from the beds, preferably in deep water where you’re trolling motor won’t scare the bluegill away, If the bluegill stay in the area so will the bass.
It’s also important to not overwork an area, develop a pattern to cover the bedding area so you are not pounding the same piece of wood over and over. Cover the area with a plan and move on to another bedding area if you don’t get bite.

Lastly look for activity on or near the beds. Many times the gar are moving over and around the beds. Sometimes you’ll find schools of bait fish in there with the bedding bluegill.
The more active the bedding area is the more chances you have of getting your line stretched.
Bluegill beds hold feeding bass and become great areas to target!
Captain Mike