We’re into that season across the South when bluegills are spawning and big bass are munching.
While the shad spawn is a viable pattern at times, I prefer to fish for bass that are bluegill eaters over the shad eaters. That includes shellcrackers and redears, and it’s a pattern that holds throughout the summer on southern lakes throughout the country.
Big bass are drawn to those bluegill bedding areas, and when those panfish are spawning, you can run from one bedding area to another and usually find bass nearby.
You can visually see ‘gills spawning around shallow sandy or hard bottom areas, but don’t overlook deeper areas in clear water where you can’t see them with your eyes. I’ve found bluegill beds on clear lakes with deeper grass and the fish will spawn in sweet spots within that grass.
That’s where electronics can play a huge role, and where my Lowrance SideScan comes in handy. Those dished out areas are easy to spot with electronics when you can’t see them with your naked eyes.
Now, this isn’t a pattern where you’ll find schooling bass, but it is where you will find fish in small wolf packs roaming the bedding area.
If you see big bluegills on beds, don’t assume they’re too big for bass to eat. Typically, the bass I catch around bluegill beds are in that 3- to 6-pound range or bigger on lakes that have bigger than average fish.
It’s a technique I used when I finished third on Lake Guntersville a few years ago. I was catching fish flipping, but I also was catching some on topwaters over big bluegill beds that I had marked during practice.
And remember, it’s a bite that goes on all day. The bass will hang around those beds then make periodical raids when something triggers them to race in and blast a bluegill meal. I’ve even seen bass sit right in the middle of the bluegill beds; the panfish can run off smaller stuff, but they’re not going to budge a bass that wants to be there.
There are a handful of lures that work best, but a topwater is my favorite. I like the KVD Popper or a prop bait over a walking bait, but around grass, my go-to is the Strike King Poppin Perch frog-style bait. Topwaters will irritate the bass and catch the most aggressive and biggest. It’s always my first choice.
When I did well at Guntersville, I found bluegills bedding with several 3-pounders and one 4-pounder hanging around. I threw that frog out there, and it was the 4-pounder that bit it.
If topwaters aren’t working, a wacky worm is another good choice and so is a swim jig. When I pull onto a bluegill bedding area, I will show them the topwater first, then try the wacky worm or the swim jig.
Now, this isn’t a pattern that you can sit on one spot and hammer them. It’s more of a run-and-gun pattern. If you stay too long the bass will get edgy. You can come back later and fire them up again.
That’s why it pays to locate and rotate through several bluegill bedding areas throughout the day.
Nor is it limited to spring. Bluegill will spawn throughout the summer, and the pattern often gets overlooked by other anglers.
