Catching Sunfish

[gonefishin11]

There seems to be a HUGE interest in catching sunfish and bluegills and I am perplexed by it. I can sit on my dock on Turtle Lake any given day of the summer and probably catch 50-100. When I icefish, I seem to find the vexilar completely red in many of the lakes I fish and finally hook into a sunfish while fishing for crappies.

Are they difficult to find and I just get lucky? I know probably 5 or 6 lakes where I could go catch sunfish all day, is this a rarity? I find them a nuisance more than anything. I always hope they are a crappie until I put on a waxie and a sunfish comes up.

Some insight into this would be great.

[fisherdog19]

I think we panfishers are looking for bull gills, typically 8 inches or greater. They fight well, eat well, and can be tough to find and then catch. Sure, I can go to many lakes and catch all the 5-6 inchers I want, but the big ones are the ones we're looking for.

Fisherdog

[gonefishin11]

That makes more sense but dont you have to do alot of sorting??

[poutpro]

Thats why people don't always catch them, they go where there is the chance of the big one instead of numbers.

[Havin' Fun]

I have been targeting bull gills this winter since Winnebago has been so pathetic. Here is what I've learned as far as big fish go.

1. You need to fish a lake that has overall shallow water. 70-80 percent of water less than 20 fow.

2. Some sandy shoreline substrate.

3. The bigger the lake isn't always better. But size helps to "spread" out fishing pressure. This is key.

4. Has a muddy flat basin or near basin structure. This is my favorite spot to target bull gills. In particular one lake I like is 50 feet deep. But most water is 20-25 fow. I fish this area. It's large and you have to move alot, but the fish are there...and are not the 5-6" fish.

5. Has a good bass population or large pike population. Helps to eat little fish.

There is a good population of lakes like this in the Pelican Rapids, DL, Perham, Ottertail area. Just got to get out and explore and don't forget the little lakes either. These tend to get underfished!!

[gonefishin11]

Are these sunnies like crappies in that school based on size? In my experience, it seems the 11" and above crappies tend to be in a seperate spot from the 9"-10".

[fisherdog19]

They don't always school in size, but you usually wont' find the real small ones with the big ones. I'm not much of a gill expert, you should go to the panfish forum and read some there. I just have a lake that produces lots of big ones and I know where they are. Look for weeds on sand in about 8-10 fow.

Fisherdog

[Havin' Fun]

A few from this morning. 8-8.5" Bad picture angle. Also about 5 or six others at 7-7.5 and two crappies.

This is from Wisconsin, but a lake very similar those in DL. Ultra clear water(another reason they are deep)!

Again, 23 fow, on a very soft muddy bottom. Some came suspended up 5 feet as well with the crappies.

Different lakes will have different patterns. Some fish will be shallow in the weeds like what Peter is talking about. There are a couple spots out here where that is also the case. This particular lake has little broad leaf weed still standing, most is laying on the bottom, which has pushed these fish out to the mud, where they are feeding.

[Dahitman44]

Hammered --

Nice Sunnies -- they are bigger than the 'eyes we were catching.

I see the Packers signed Green, you must be very happy.