• Bluegill are a small species of freshwater fish that live in nearly every pond or lake in the United States. They go by the name bream or panfish. They are strong fighters on light tackle and readily take any small bait or lure. It is usually a bluegill that a young child will catch as their first fish. They can be identified by a flap that hangs off of their gill cover that is dark blue hence the name bluegill. A bluegill is considered trophy class at 2 lbs, but large fish normally are from 3/4 to 1 lb.
  
  

Equipment

• Bluegill give a better fight if caught on ultralight equipment. These are short 5-foot poles are matched with either spincast or spinning reel. Use a 2- or 4-lb. test line to increase the fight of the fish, although you may have to play the fish longer. Hooks should be relatively small since bluegill have small mouths.
  
  

Jigs

• A jig is a weighted hook with a synthetic body skewered through the hook. The hook has a 90-degree angle facing upward through the lead head. It can be painted any color. Synthetic bodies can also be any color and also have single or double curly tails to attract the fish. Some have feathers attached instead of the synthetic body, but you have to change the whole lure to change color. The best jighead sizes for bluegill are #4 or #6 hooks with a 1/32 weighted head on them.
  
  

Fishing a Simple Jig

• Fishing a simple single or double curly tailed jig is simple. Cast into any area that may support bluegill. Bluegill like shade, sunken brush and aquatic weeds. Some jigs can be rigged weedless, and casting closer to cover results in far more strikes. Don't hesitate to toss the bluegill jigs into thick cover.
  
  

Jig With a Spinner Blade

• Small spinner blades can be added to the jig to help attract fish. These are very effective when fishing in bright sun or in the spring when they are mating. Bouncing a jig through a breeding area will cause many bluegill to attack to protect the eggs. These should be reeled in just fast enough to move the blade constantly.
  
  

Flathead Crawling Jig

• The flathead crawling jig has a flattened bottom on the head and is meant to be crawled across the bottom of the body of water. Normally these have bucktail hair or feathers on them. The weight of the head is 1/32 oz. and the colors vary. These are useful during the middle of the day when it is hot and the bluegill are hiding.
  
  

Colors

• Jigs come in a variety of colors. With the synthetic bodies you can change colors simply by removing the old body and placing a new one on the jig head. Generally, the color choice is not consistent from day to day or even from morning to evening because of water conditions so you will have to experiment.