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Hobiesailor07

Recommended patterns for sunfish

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If you're catching lots of 7 to 10 inch ... 1/2 pound ... fish, then you're catching the schooling, young adults.  There are bigger Bluegull in there.

"Pennsylvania State record Bluegill:
2 pounds, 8 ounces, caught in 1983 by Tom Twincheck, Blairsville, in Keystone Lake, Armstrong County."

The record has been in place for almost 40 years.  Proves to me that people aren't catching the biggest Bluegill in those waters.

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20 hours ago, skeet3t said:

No need to complicate the issue.

fly tyers do have a way at making things complicated 😄

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Anytime I go to my local warm water creek I catch tons of sunnies even though I'm there to bass fish. Not only do I catch a ton of sunnies but some days I feel my fly getting whacked over and over and over and over by small fish that can't seem to get the hook in its lip. So my fly reccomendation is anything you have on you. It can be any trout fly, anything with rubber legs, anything that floats or anything that sinks. 

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I actually had the best season last year with the Grey Goose nymph.  I pulled in several good LMB and some sunfish.  I was surprised at how well it work with the bass.

 

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8 hours ago, mikechell said:

"Pennsylvania State record Bluegill:
2 pounds, 8 ounces, caught in 1983 by Tom Twincheck, Blairsville, in Keystone Lake, Armstrong County."

That's about of 5 hour drive for me, Mike.  And 40 years ago.  I wasn't even fly fishing then.   Bluegills that big are few and far between around here.  There are some trophy panfish lakes in the state.  I checked and there are only two within reasonable driving distance(2 hours or less) though I might get a chance to fish one of them later this year.  Still minimum  size on those lakes to keep is 7 inches and the limit is 20 fish per species.  50 combined.  A lot of them don't get the chance to grow that big.  Last time we were up in the Poconos, two years ago, I hit  an area where they were schooling and picked up 36 bluegills in about an hour and a half of fishing, all in that 7 to 10 inch range.  All were released.   Hopefully, they'll be in the same area.  I picked up a digital scale over the winter.  I'll weigh a few this year.

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You will get as many suggestions as there are people.  There are many flies that work.

I use many that other folks don't used.

Rick 

 

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Try a simple Baby Leetch pattern - standard wet fly hook (i.e. Mustad 3906), sizes 6-12; black tying thread (or to match body/hackle); copper wire;  black rabbit fur (or another color).  Pinch down barb and lay a smooth thread base, tie in wire, dub thread with rabbit fur and end ~3 hook eyes behind the eye, wrap with wire in open spirals - 4-5 should do, Make a dubbing loop and add rabbit fur favoring one side-spin-wrap ~2 times around the hook shank and tie off, make a smooth head, cement and you are finished!

Check a good friend's forum (Chris_in_Louisiana) for this pattern and the results for him!  Baby Leech Fly Step-by-Step - The Fat Fingered Fly Tyer

Kim

BTW, I was the swap host who sent him that fly.

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Another super simple pattern for panfish that's been pretty productive for me.  I received this pattern in a swap here last year, can't remember now who tied it. 

Weight as desired, I try to lay strips of lead along top of hook shank to keep the point up, I suppose you could use dumbbell or bead chain eyes also.  Chenille in your choice of type and color, cock pheasant neck feathers for claws, any type long, soft hackle for legs/feelers.  

IMG-20210326-055643.jpg 

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I like to tie in beads belly scratcher style like the Cramer HD Craw to keep them riding point up 

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On 3/24/2021 at 11:38 AM, WWKimba said:

Try a simple Baby Leetch pattern - standard wet fly hook (i.e. Mustad 3906), sizes 6-12; black tying thread (or to match body/hackle); copper wire;  black rabbit fur (or another color).  Pinch down barb and lay a smooth thread base, tie in wire, dub thread with rabbit fur and end ~3 hook eyes behind the eye, wrap with wire in open spirals - 4-5 should do, Make a dubbing loop and add rabbit fur favoring one side-spin-wrap ~2 times around the hook shank and tie off, make a smooth head, cement and you are finished!

Check a good friend's forum (Chris_in_Louisiana) for this pattern and the results for him!  Baby Leech Fly Step-by-Step - The Fat Fingered Fly Tyer

Kim

BTW, I was the swap host who sent him that fly.

I'll second the baby leech pattern.  It has continued to be my go to for sunfish as spring has progressed. 

Chris

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I had alot of fun with the little gills last evening fishing this Skater (my apologies to Mr. Hewitt).

IMG-20210410-081259a.jpg

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BIG Bluegill and other Sunfish are almost as hard to catch as any other species, except during the spawn

The biggest bluegill hang around the deeper water. They didn't get big by being dumb and susceptible to fisherman. The world record is 5 lb., taken from a gravel pit outside Montgomery, Alabama. Sports Afield had a photo of it; could have covered a dinner plate. Haven't heard of the record being broken. Many eons ago, I stopped at a paylake outside of Fayetteville, GA. The store had mounts of a bunch of bluegill of 2-3 lbs. Always regret never fishing there with a fly rod.

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24 minutes ago, skeet3t said:

The biggest bluegill hang around the deeper water. They didn't get big by being dumb and susceptible to fisherman.

Agree 100% cause I hunt for "The Bigguns"

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