Using The Wooly Bugger to Land Bluegill

Today’s quick trip to Smith Lake proved to be a wash for the crappie. It was a good thing I had my fly rod along to salvage the trip. The water temp was a cool 60 degrees warming a little to 62 before the trip ended. The crappie was not the only species to have lockjaw; the bass was in lockdown mode as well. There was no action with the Boogle Bug on top so there was only one option left and that was to go down under using the Wooly Bugger.

This was one of the nicest female bluegills I have ever landed on Smith using the cream bugger. I wasn’t using my sink tip line today, which meant I had to let the bass bug line get the bugger down at least 6 feet in the strike zone. I feel I would have landed more bluegills if I had been using the sink tip, but I had to go with the combo I had at hand, which was my 9 ft. 6 weight. Even this nice female gave the 6 weight a workout.

This healthy bull bluegill hit the bugger over a submerged brush pile that was meant to house crappie. I was a little surprised that I didn’t land some crappie using the color bugger because I felt like I was actually duplicating a small shad with its size and color pattern. The cream was the only color that would produce on this slow day, making me realize that I need to add some more cream buggers to my fly box. I will count both gills today, putting me 47 away from my quest now.

The Start of my 2015 Bluegill Quest

So good to be fly fishing again after being cooped inside most of the winter, my destination today was Walker County Lake. I like to hit this lake early in the year before the big crowds start showing up in April. I was surprised to find very few fishermen out today considering the 72-degree weather. Our forecast here next week is low 70’s most of the week, so with those warming temps coming, the activity should start to pick up at the water's edge.
  With the daylight hours being longer now I knew I had some extra time this afternoon to fish some areas on the lake I normally don’t fish. So I trolled the 10 ft Pelican towards the back of the lake to fish some of the shallow water in around the main creek that flows into the lake. After a half-hour of working the creek and the surrounding area with no takes, I moved back into the nooks. I know this may sound crazy but landing a fish this afternoon was kind of secondary; just being back on the water for another bluegill season is tremendous for me. 

First bluegill of the afternoon, not a counter but loads of fun on the 3 weight.

My one and only counter on the 4 weight using the black grub

All the fish I landed today were in great shape and ready for the coming spawn. Even the Betts Popper got in on the action later in the afternoon.

So with my one bull bluegill counted I am now 49 away from my quest!!!