Recommended patterns for sunfish

[Hobiesailor07 0]

Good evening folks. I wanted to reach out for additional recommended patterns for sunfish and potentially small bass. I will be fishing a small pond on siblings property. I am sure the wooly bugger will be a great go-to. But are there other patterns you would recommend a new fly tier. I typically wacky rig fished with senkos on his property, so I purchased materials to make some san juan worms as well. Looking forward to everyones recommendations.

Thank you!

[WWKimba 0]

Just about anything with foam.  Yellow and black is a good color combo to start with.

Kim

[mikechell 0]

[mikechell 0]

[Bimini15 0]

I would add nymph imitations.

Here are some from the archive...

[flytire 0]

 

[skeet3t 0]

Bluegill will hit anything. My mother used to catch them with a piece of a bamboo pole, line and a piece of red cloth on a hook. I have caught scores of bluegill over the years with imported flies, 10 for 99 cents. No need to complicate the issue.

[niveker 0]

Simple foam flies like @flytire suggests are hard to beat for panfish; they're inexpensive and fun and easy to tie.  Gurglers are another pattern that you can make as simple or complicated as you want, without digging too deep into your pockets for materials.  Likewise with Clousers.  

Some I like that take a bit more time and materials are

damsel fly nymphs

Madam X

and the venerable McGinty

Grizzly King streamers are another venerable pattern that the panfish hold in great esteem.  Here's one I make with a chenille body, giving it a bit more water weight: 

TeQueeleys

I love fishing trout streams, but its hard the beat the enjoyment and convenience of throwing these flies at some panfish at the end of the day.  Have fun and post some pics!

 

 

 

[niveker 0]

18 minutes ago, skeet3t said:

No need to complicate the issue.

What kind of fun is that, might as well dunk worms!

[skeet3t 0]

3 hours ago, niveker said:

What kind of fun is that, might as well dunk worms!

Worms don't last very long. There was a fellow who fished our local trout tailwater. A few white calf tail hairs on a 2X hook caught lots of trout. Hair was found on barb wire fences.

[gillage 0]

3 hours ago, niveker said:

What kind of fun is that, might as well dunk worms!

My sentiments exactly.

Big gills can be every bit as wary and selective as the best of 'em.

Small'uns not so much.

[gillage 0]

Cap Spider 

Gill Getter

Red Fox Squirrel Nymph

Hum Bug

and I am excited to try this new one a Red Tailed Monkey Butt and other color variations of the same

[mikechell 0]

11 hours ago, skeet3t said:

Bluegill will hit anything. 

Little Bluegill and other Sunfish will hit anything ... just like little trout, bass and all other fish.  Little fish are hungry all the time.  They need to eat to grow.

BIG Bluegill and other Sunfish are almost as hard to catch as any other species, except during the spawn.  Sunfish are notoriously territorial ... more so than most other fish.  They'll hit and eat intruders, where other species generally chase off or just move intruders.  Makes them easier to catch during spawn.  The rest of the time, big 'Gills can be less "school" oriented and more selective in their eating preferences.

People who believe Bluegill are easy to catch have, likely, rarely caught the BIG ones in the waters they fish.

[Iroc_Jeff 0]

22 hours ago, mikechell said:

 

These bead chain streamers also work great using all flash type materials as well. No dubbing, just tinsel or flashabou wrapped around  the hook for the body and krystal flash/tinsel/whatever for the tail and wing. Caught bass on these as well as bluegills and crappie in Florida.

[Philly 0]

 

27 minutes ago, mikechell said:

People who believe Bluegill are easy to catch have, likely, rarely caught the BIG ones in the waters they fish.

You'll have to define "big", Mike.  7 to 10 inches would be considered big up here.  I'm basically a top water person.  Like everyone else I use foam for my top waters my.  My choice is craft foam.  These are my three top water producers the last few years

This one came about because no one taught me how to tie a proper spider pattern.  I initially use the large soft foam spider bodies you can buy on line or at a fly shop.  They were not very durable.  I started cutting the bodies from craft foam sheets as best I could with a pair of scissors.  I use 3 mm sheets for the panfish size ones and 6 mm sheets for the bass size ones.  They're tied on Size 6, 2 xl hooks.  The bass size ones are tied on  3/0 streamer hooks.  This is one of the original  ones.  Today I use a single orange dot for visibility and spinner bait skirt material for legs.   The hook shank is wrapped with micro pearl or ice chenille.   Tail is marabou.

Panfish

  

Bass 

A friend of mine taught me this pattern.  It's called "Tony's Froggie"  It's basically a strip of craft foam.  Same materials as the previous pattern.  Tied for panfish and bass on same hooks.  Eyes aren't required

Panfish

Bass 

The last one is me thinking a bit outside the box with mop flies.  You can use them for more than a crane fly larva.   Head is a foam cylinder.  "Thorax" is pearl or ice chenille.  Body is a mop piece.  I treat the mop piece with a paste floatant.  They're tied on a Size 6 Gamakatsu B10S hook.  For reference the bass in my avatar took one of them.