Popper Color Does Make a Difference When Fishing For Bluegills

I’ve always assumed that bedding bluegill would hit anything thrown their way regardless of color, nymph, dry fly or popper. Well Tuesday I got a lesson in just how finicky bluegill can be on Smith Lake. My buddy Ivan was fishing with me at daybreak yesterday for the large spots using the big poppers, which by the way never panned out for any major hits. I did land one spot in the slot at 13 inches which was the extent of the bass trip. I attribute the slow spot action to all the Memorial Day boat traffic, which really churned the water up for three days.

So we started searching for the bedding bluegills in all the nooks off the main channel. The first 4 or 5 nooks different produce anything but small fish in the form of little females and some little spots out of the slot, which is below 12 inches. As we moved from nook to nook we finally connected with a small band of gills bedding out from the bank near the overhanging tree line on the right side in the image below. Ivan landed the first of 6 nice bluegills in this area using a popper that I didn’t have in my fly box.

The bluegill were bedding 10 to 12 ft. deep here in this area and the minute they nailed the popper they would take off for deeper water. Ivan’s 4 weight really got a workout. I didn’t land a single fish here using a black Bar Nun popper. These fish were so aggressive that they were coming out of the water like a bass to take the pale colored version of this popper, which is very unusual for bluegill on Smith.

I tried a number of flies trying to get a hit as we sit there fishing for this group of bedding bluegills, but nothing work for me. I tried nymphs, dries, grasshoppers, even different colored poppers which proved to me that these fish were taking nothing on this day but this size 8 pale chartreuse Bar Nun Popper.  So yes color and pattern makes a difference when fishing for bedding bluegill.

I did manage to land one bull bluegill using the Black Bar Nun version of this popper that I will count for my quest. To prove to me again that the pale chartreuse popper was still taking fish over everything else, Ivan landed a couple bass where I had just place the black popper. Ivan has been using these poppers for years, and yes I have been using them too, but today the Bar Nun brand made a believer out of me. Can you guess if I ordered a few???





This bluegill will get counted for my quest which puts me at 34 away from making the quest for this year. Congrats to Ivan for finding this fantastic popper that enabled him to have one of his better bluegill fishing days on Smith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Fishing the Hares Ear Soft Hackle

With a lot of boat activity on Smith Lake this Memorial Day weekend I decided to give the tailrace a visit this morning at daylight. I walked down to access four around 6 AM and was met with heavy fog and a fairly fast flow. The generators had been off a couple of hours leaving the rocks quite slippery. It was good I had my wading staff at my side.

The dry action this time of year is limited on the Sipsey even in the early morning and late afternoon, so I started working a fairly fast run with a Prince Nymph size 20 under an indicator. After no interest at all I tied on the Seal Leech with no reaction as well. I did notice as I moved up the tailrace there were some activity subsurface meaning the trout were not taking anything on top but right below the surface. So, noticing that I tied on a size 20 dry PMD. I did get some runs at the fly but no takes. By now it is approaching 9 AM and I am getting some company above and below me. There was more subsurface activity located around a large boulder across from me, so I decided to tie on a size 20 soft hackle Hares Ear. I wanted the fly to float just below the surface as it traveled through a slow run near the boulder.

The end result of a good drift next to the boulder just as the fly passed next to the edge. The take was a simple swirl right below the surface. I missed numerous trout here in this area, mainly because this is something new for me. One learns something every time they wade into the water trout fishing and today was a learning curve for me. Rests assure I will use the soft hackle here again.

 

I'm interested in knowing how you guys would fish a wet fly in slow water or when trout are feeding subsurface?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Using The Big Boogle Popper to Mimic The Pop-R

The size 4 Boogle Bug is a big popping bug, which in reality mimics a Pop-R bait casting lure. The Pop-R is a go to lure on the bass tournament circuit for a lot of the bass fisherman, who want to land large bass on the surface.

 Tuesday morning on Smith I use the size 4 Boogle Bug as a Pop-R. To mimic the Pop-R one needs to use short jerks and a pause with the big Boogle Bug. On the pause is when the hits occur. I have seldom hooked a bass moving the Boogle Bug.

I have had some problems casting this size popper with a regular 6 weight fly line, so I spooled my 5/6 Redington Drift reel with the Scientific Anglers SeriesBass Bug fly line which turns over the big bugs with ease even in windy conditions.

 

The result of the pause when this nice spot nailed the olive green red eye Boogle Bug setting motionless. My 6 weight 9 ft. got quite a workout matching muscle with this fighting spot. This fish knows no boundaries when it comes to freeing itself from a hook popper.

This spot killed the popper right at daylight, in fact I could barely see the bug, but I could hear the explosion on the surface. Daylight is my favorite time to fish any surface popper; it seems to bring out the ugly in the spots on Smith. After the sun peaked over the horizon it was all over for the top action and time to head home. I hope I get a chance to challenge the big bluegills again next week.

Back to Work on my 2014 Bluegill Quest

I was back on Walker County Lake Tuesday working on my bluegill quest. I wanted to see if the live bait crowd had left any bluegills on the beds that I could take with the small poppers. I fished roughly 3 hours and landed some nice gills worthy of my count for this year. This is a daylight dust to dark lake and if one wants to catch anything at all you need to fish at those times.

The first bull gill of the morning with the popper stuck deep in its throat; awesome on the 4 weight.

Most all the bluegills were located directly under this overhanging tree. It was tricky casting placing the size 8 popper directly under the tree limbs. When the popper did make it to its target under the tree and next to the bank, it was just a matter of seconds before the popper disappeared and the fight was on. Sorry for the poor quality of this image.

Another nice bluegill with the popper stuffed inside it's mouth.

I thought I would enter this bluegill in the contest Mel’s friend is conducting on Facebook.

These five are worthy of the quest, I am now 35 away from my goal. 

Some fantastic table fare baked or deep fired in peanut oil. Add some fresh fries, cole slaw, hush puppies and of course a cold Coors; anybody hungry??

 

 

 

 

Fishing The Sink Tip Line for Super Size Bluegills

I guess all of you have noticed my long lapse in posting. Well road trips and baby sitting grandchildren has put a damper on my blogging. Since my wife retired in December we have been taking short little junkets to some places we never had the time to visit when she was working. I mentioned sometime back that my wife told me that when she retired she wanted to travel some, so we are making up for lost time. My blogging will be limited somewhat from this point, so if you wonder what happened to Bill in the week’s and months to come, just know he is traveling around with his college sweetheart here and there.  

I did manage to work a fishing trip in last week on Smith fishing for the spots and bluegills. This big bull gill was landed using a new method for me, which is fishing with a sink tip # 4 fast forward weight line. The sink tip as you know enables me to go deep when the top action isn’t happening, which was the case on this day. The Super Nymph was the fly which the fish inhaled deep into its throat. The disadvantage using the sink tip for me was the lost of flies in brush and rocks. I lost a couple of flies and one fish I never got to see, which I think was a nice spot.

I feel the sink tip will be a winner for me in the summer months on Smith, especially on the rock walls. This line is a weight 4 and one would assume you would use a 4 weight fly rod to cast it, but I found I can get the line up out of the water much better with a 5 weight line when casting. The sink rate on this line is tremendous and one can get to a depth of 20 ft. or better fast. I landed this bluegill in a 30 foot depth range.

Nice spot on the Boggle really early, but when the sun came up the bite stopped. I will count the big gill on my quest, I am now 40 away.

The Bulls are Running!!!

 



 

 

 



The bulls I am really referring to is the big bull bluegills on Walker County Lake. I couldn’t have asked for a better morning to continue to work on my bluegill quest. This morning was unusual in that there was virtually no wind for at least three hours, which made for some fantastic on and off surface action.

 

First gill of the morning on the Black Super Nymph, which is lodged in his throat; I started with a popper but no takers.  The fish were extremely wary and I had to keep the boat some distance from the bank to keep from scaring the bigger fish. This lake is fished quite heavy this time of year and the bigger fish tend to know if danger is approaching. Lighter presentations with lighter flies work best for a while as I worked the banks.   

Another counter for the quest with the nymph inhaled. I lost numbers of fish today simply because I wasn’t keeping a tight line on the fish. These fish usually bed in water 4 to 6 feet deep, and once hooked they make a beeline for deep water, so stripping line as fast as one can will ensure landing the fish, otherwise you take a chance losing good bull bluegill.  

This bass eyed the dark green black-legged Betts popper a little to close. I landed numbers of bass as I work the steep banks. I had two combos with me today, my 3 and 4 weight, both 8 ½ ft. Equal numbers were taken on both combos.

As the Super Nymph faded, I went back to my popper, which was a black-legged faded black body, Betts.  Sorry, I don’t have an image of this popper, which was lost on a break off in a brush pile. I ended the morning with the black-legged chartreuse.

The best of the best for the morning; I will count 8 towards my quest which makes me 41 away.

Fishing With Jason Near the Dam on Smith Lake

I seldom get to fish with my son and today was one of those special days we got to hang out together on Smith, which is his favorite lake to fish when he is home. We were hoping to get in some trout fishing as well while he was here but the recent rains have caused the lake to fill above full pool which means non-stop generation below the dam. We were 30 minutes late today, but manage to have a great trip for the 2 ½ hours we were on the water. The wind ended the trip around 9 AM.

First fish of the morning on the Super Nymph which David at Trout Zone tied up for me the other day; this pattern has been good for me over the past couple of years, landing spots and bluegill on Smith. It is also a productive fly for the trout on the tailrace.

Jason with his first spot of the morning using the Damsel Blue Boogle Bug; no-fly movement at all produced this spot over a submerged tree.  This morning all the hits came with the popper setting still with no movement at all.

Another quality spot using the Damsel Blue Boogle; all the spots today were in the slot, and all were released to fight another day. We never got out of sight of the launch during the 2 ½ hours we fished.  Landing these fish with the fly rod is one awesome experience, especially when you are fishing with your son. We hope to make one more trip before he returns to Sacramento on Saturday. 

Thought I would share a post by Rick at White Tail Woods about President Jimmy Carter.

Surface Action in 57 Degree Water With What Else "BOOGLE BUGS POPPERS"

My first trip to Smith Lake today to fish for the spots proved to be surprising for top action using the Boggle Bugs Popper. My buddy Charles and I were a little late getting on the water and missed most of the surface action, but we did manage to find out that the spots will take a popper in 57 degree water. The lake was 3 ½ ft. above full pool and super clear.

 

Fat 13” spot and one that really put up a fight on the 6 wt. That is what I love about this fish, it will give you all it’s got on any weight fly rod you may be using.

The first spot of the morning, which gave Charles a fight on his 5 weight; both fish were released because they fell into the slot limited the lake enforces.

Even the bull bluegills couldn’t resist the Boogle Bugs on top in this cold water this morning. This guys is worthy of the quest, because he gave my 6 weight a respectable bend. I am now 49 away from the quest. The full moon will be on the 27^th. this month and that is when the bluegill action will really heat up on this lake, I am counting the days.