7 points this spring

[gordonc615]

Just putting this out there since we're about 2 mths away from 7 points to start producing. Last year I kept pulling hybrids from the bank while the guys on the boats weren't catching anything. I know the only reason I was catching fish was because I was using bluegill and sunfish while I'm sure the boaters were using shad shiners or skipjack. I just wanted to put this on here b4 random guys start googling around that time of year (they won't get the info) and our real members might remember this info when the time comes.

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[Dakota]

Thanks for the info!!


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[Heiny57]

How big did they average?

[jad2t]

I've always wondered how well they really do eat sunfish. I've read a report here and there about guys catching them on assorted panfish but at the same time most of the hardcore bait fishermen swear shad will out fish any lure or any other live bait.

My go to is a 1/4 ounce jighead with a pearl, pink, or chartreuse fluke and that's the mid to late April action. 2 months from now puts us in early May. By then they're all gone from where I find them so you must know something I don't.

[Alphahawk]

I've always wondered how well they really do eat sunfish. I've read a report here and there about guys catching them on assorted panfish but at the same time most of the hardcore bait fishermen swear shad will out fish any lure or any other live bait.

My go to is a 1/4 ounce jighead with a pearl, pink, or chartreuse fluke and that's the mid to late April action. 2 months from now puts us in early May. By then they're all gone from where I find them so you must know something I don't.


Many years in the spring I would fish for big Gills holding about 8 inches off the bank in the rip rap on the generator side below Pickwick. I'm talking serious current. They come up there to feed in the spring before spawn. I would be down the sidewalk away from all the striper, hybrid fisherman up on the catwalk. A lot of them however would come down to see me and ask if I caught any 3-4 inch Gills could I yell out to them and they would come get it and use it for bait. It was a pretty deadly tactic.


Regards

[Headhunter]

I do not use live bait, I only fish topwater, but I know of a few who absolutely catch large numbers of hybrids on bluegill and catch some really big ones also. Can't wait for May, that is then the topwater bite is the best.

[TNBronzeback]

My first hybrid bonanza on JPP was 4 years ago.....early march like now, off a channel edge near bryants grove and long hunter...dead calm conditions and the water all around just exploded in all directions. A massive wave of hybrids and stripers came through and it was pure insanity for about an hour. Guys were catching hybrids on anything and everything, us included.
When it all calmed down the surface was just littered with hundreds of dead, scaled, twitching gills. Some missing tails, scales stripped off....like somebody threw dynamite in the water.
That was a sight to behold!

[Travis C.]

I wonder how much of it has to do with size/flash than it being a bluegill or shad? A lot of 3-4" gills/bream would be similar to a 3-4" shad struggling on a hook to a hybrid.

I have heard of people using crappie for striper bait as well.

[eksfish]

cut the dorsal fin off the small bream and hang on! just saying....

[gordonc615]

yeah I think 5 in was tops but man I was completely shocked at the results. This year even me being in a boat I'm going to be bringing the bream.

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[agelesssone]

Two years ago, our biggest striper of the season came on a 5 inch bluegill, even though we had threadfin shad out also.

[TNBronzeback]

shame on ALL of you for killing the small bluegills of the future.
dont you know you should only keep em at 9" and up.
lol....sorry.....too soon? Lol

[AllOutdoors]

My first hybrid bonanza on JPP was 4 years ago.....early march like now, off a channel edge near bryants grove and long hunter...dead calm conditions and the water all around just exploded in all directions. A massive wave of hybrids and stripers came through and it was pure insanity for about an hour. Guys were catching hybrids on anything and everything, us included.
When it all calmed down the surface was just littered with hundreds of dead, scaled, twitching gills. Some missing tails, scales stripped off....like somebody threw dynamite in the water.
That was a sight to behold!
I've seen this on the duck. When they come to feed,they FEED! I seen lots off dead fish floating off that shoal. Bass, bream, and lots off skipjack. It was a goodnight of fishing under the moonlight but I don't think those stripes culled anything that came down that shoal. Good info. Thanks for sharing.

[tkwalker]

I was fishing with Guide Stu Tinney in 1975 on J. Percy Priest . He only used Gills for Bait. The average weight for Stripers on JPP then was around 17 pounds. <'TK>< :)

[TNBronzeback]

ive never used gills for hybrids before. In an act of desperation ive used them for stripers. Im gonna have to to give that a shot. Ofcourse the way my luck goes, i wont be able to find 1 single gill when im trying to catch em! lol

[gordonc615]

all u gotta do is get a tube of crickets with a small small hook and go right next to the boat ramp or up against the shoreline somewhere there always seems to be some of perfect size hiding under the rocks and they will demolish a cricket. That way you don't have to try and ruin a cast net

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[StriperFan]

I fish both Bluegill and Shad as bait. Some lakes produce better with bluegill than others for me. JPP and Tims Ford both produce well with 'gills on downlines and bottom rigs. More run of the river lakes like OH and Cordell Hull I like to use large gizzard shad or skippies to cover more water and get more flash