In North America, on of the most popular game fish would be the Bluegills. If you are not from North America, you will not probably know that such type of game fish exists. But for those people who are fond of fishing, you should target bluegills. Also, if you want to have a productive and fun time in the water, it is important to know the best time of day to catch bluegills. Don’t worry, you are in the right article. Upon reading, you will know some tips in catching bluegill as well as the best time of day to catch bluegill.
Normally, the best time of day to catch bluegill is in the afternoon, 4:30-7:00 pm. An hour before the sun set, it would be best to slow down. There are some restrictions to this, but it a good guideline to use in order to have a great time in the water.
In most cases, bluegills eat a lot more during evening. This is because it is the time when it begins to cool. The shadow in the water which is because of the vegetation and docks helps you get larger bluegills. In addition to that, this is also the perfect time when insects are most active. Hence, giving more food for the bluegills to eat. To know more about the best time of day to catch bluegill, keep on reading.
The Best Time of Day to Catch Bluegill
Early Evening
the best time of day to catch bluegill is early evening, as mentioned earlier. Based on the experiences of people I know, this is the perfect time where they normally experience the best action of bluegills. In addition to that, this is where they are very active and looking for food. That being said, they will most likely bite that bait.
You will not need to wait for several hours if you decided to catch fish during this time because they are not hidden. The weather starts to cool during this time and the seagulls look for something to put in their tummy before they dive deeper to call it a night.
On the off time you choose this best time of day to catch bluegills, you should focus more on the 5:30-7:00 window. You will see the decrease in feeding activity the hour before the sunset. Hopefully, you will be able to catch fish during this time of the day.
You may also opt to catch fish using a live bait or even artificial lures. When using artificial lures, there are lures that are best used in the morning and there are those that are best used in the evening. If you are going to use artificial lures in the evening, make sure to use small plugs, spinners, and other similar items.
Mid-afternoon
Another best time of day to catch bluegill is during mid-afternoon. This is also a perfect time to easily catch bluegills easily because they are active. Furthermore, this is also the time when they are easy to spot and locate, under different time of the day when they are strictly hidden.
When locating bluegills in the mid-afternoon, make sure to look near the boat, docks, and timber. Areas like these are where bluegills are most likely hiding. Since the sun is still out. they look for some hidden places to hide. Take note, in comparison to mid-day, the sun is not that bright. That being said, the bluegills are less willing to transfer and leave their hub so as to attack their prey. Might as well look locate them and focus on that spot.
Once you master the perfect approach and method, you will be able to attract them to leave the cover. During this best time of day to catch bluegill, it is best to use worms and minnows. While you can also use lures, they are not that totally ideal anymore.
Mid-day
When deciding for the best of day to catch bluegill, you might not want to to fish during this time of day. This is because mid-day can be challenging and tricky.
If you decided to go to certain lake and look for bluegills during this tiime, then they will not disappoint you. There are several bluegills during mid-afternoon because the sun is too hot which is why they are easy to locate. On the other hand, biting the bait if it is mid-day is another story.
The reason why I said that they are easy to locate during this time of day is because your can just easily find them in two places: deep under the water or just under the cover. In addition to that, bluegills are not really fond of direct sunlight as well as the the temperature of water during these times. Because of this, they hide themselves with the cover to escape from the heat and water.
More often than not, you will witness bluegills stacking underneath the boat and docks. The challenge when catching this gamefish during this time of the day is how you will be able to force the gamefish to come out of their cover. This is because based on the experience of a lot of people I know, it really is difficult to catch a fish during this time.
Experts say that to make your fishing experience efficient, you should make use of live worm as a bait. If you used an artificial lure, it might take you some time to catch the fish. Worse, they will not buy your method. If you want your experience to be a bit more challenging, you should try catching bluegills during this time.
When is not the best time of day to catch bluegill?
Now that you know the best time of day to catch bluegill, it is also important ot know the worst time to catch bluegills. Keep on reading to find out mre
Night
This is definitely not the best time of day to catch bluegills. Aside from it is too dark to locate bluegills, they are not active. On the other hand, if you are an expert and you really know what you are doing, then you might be able to succeed. But normally, people do not prefer to catch fish during this time because it is not enjoyable and you will almost always get nothing from it. In short, you will just waste your time. Furthermore, nighttime would be your slowest time of the day to catch these game fishes.
Aside from that, bluegills are species that are most likely active during day time. If it is evening, they are prone to get eaten by predators so they do their best to look for the perfect place to hide. Now once they find that spot, they will carefully hide so as not to get eaten by predators.
Another reason why it is not advisable to fish during night time is because bluegills are believed to have limited night time vision. Because of this, they do not roam around the lake as it is not safe and enjoyable for them. If you are lucky, you might still be able to catch bluegills at night only if you decided to fish during the first hour of darkness when the water is still not that cold.
Once the temperature continues to drop, bluegills will dive deeper and cover and wait for the night to pass. However, if your available time is only during night time and you really are determine to catch a few bluegills, you should make use of live baits. We recommend live worms and minnows. On the contrary, there are studies showing that bluegills are most active during night time. There are even some people who believe night time is the best time of day to catch bluegill. If you want, you should try it it since it still an experience.
Early morning
To the majority of people who love to fish, early morning is not the best time of day to catch bluegill, it is just hit or miss. There are times when it can be a great time to fish, but most of the time, catching bluegills during this time of the day is challenging as they are not that active. When we say early morning, it is after sunset until 9 :00 am.
As mentioned earlier, bluegills are not fond of cold temperature. It is during this time of the day when the water is still cold so they do not find it comfortable to swim around. Also, these microorganism react well with warm water. That being said, they started to disperse and roam around the lake when the sun is out and bright. I
On the other hand, if it the temperature is low, they are somewhere deep in the water. Because of freeze in water, your fishing experience may not be that productive. You might need to spend several hours of waiting for the blue gills to bite that bait. Do not get us wrong, you will still be able to catch fish but you need to be very slow.
If you are planning to catch bluegills during this time of day, you need to use live bait. It is your only chance to catch a large healthy bluegill. In addition to that, make sure to us the most lively worm and minnows. Take note, bluegills are sucker for this type of food. If you are to use worms and minnows, you can choose to fish any time of the day and still catch one. Also, do not use artificial bait when catching fish during this time if you do not want to waste your time. The water is freezing cold and bluegills will not waste their time for an artificial bait.
Best time of day to Catch Bluegill: Techniques
While it is important for you to know the best time of day to catch bluegill, it is also important to know that the techniques that will work best.
You can catch bluegills in several different techniques. These techniques should be effective depending on how you are going to do it. They key is to choose the technique that you are most comfortable with and that you enjoy doing.
*Bobber Fishing
The first technique that you can use when catching bluegills is the bobber fishing. This is probably the most popular fishing technique that is being used especially during summer and spring. Aside from the simplicity of this method, it is also it is also effective. If you are going to catch fish with your kids, this is the most suitable method for them because it is very easy.
Bluegills are not the type of fish that will chase their food, so a slow and motionless of holding the bait is advisable. Use a small bait that is hanging below below the bobber. Make sure the bobber is large enough to float your bait. If you use a bobber that is too large, the bluegill will have second thought and will hesitate to bite it. In addition that it is also more effective to set the bobber 1-3 feet deep. However, if the fish is too deep, you might have to fish deeper.
*Bottom Fishing
Bottom fishing during the best time of day to catch bluegill is also another effective way to catch fish. This method is very easy to do, you just have to cast your bait and gradually sink to the bottom. Dot not use heavy bait, just a little weight will do. Also, this will not hesitate the bluegills to go for the bait.
Use an extremely light rod and and reel with slightly light line. This will let you to cast your bait without weight at all. As your bait gradually sinks, the bluegill will slowly bite it. as well. On the off chance your bait was able to reach the bottom buy you do not see and sign of bite, it might probably pick the bait at the bottom. Furthermore, if you still do not get a bite after an several minutes or hours of waiting, you must need to find another spot.
*Drift fishing
Fishing during the best time of day to catch bluegill using this method is another fun and efficient fishing experience. Several people prefer this method as it is very effective especially during summer when the weather is very hot. It is during this season when bluegills are almost 24 hours active.
In addition to that, since it is summer, the temperature at night might not be even that cold. That being said, if you choose to catch fish during night time, it is possible for you to get one. Drift fishing is when you locate fish using your boat and baits down to 12-15 feet. In case you do not know, bluegills are normally found in schools. So you might want to try focus baiting on the certain area where your caught a fish. Chances are, there is a school of bluegills there.
*Fly fishing
Last, but definitely not the least, is the fly fishing. From the term itself, it might sound challenging and it is for trout. But this is also an effective way of catching bluegills. To use this method, you should use an artificial fly that resembles small insects. Bluegills usually find such creatures irresistible. Unlike routes, bluegills are not that picky so do not think of using fly patterns.
Final Words
Catching a fish is of the most enjoyable thing to do especially if you want to clear your mind from all the life’s drama and stress. Nothing’s better than being able to catch bluegills, one of the most popular game fishes in North America. But in order to make the most out of your fishing experience, you must know the best time of day to catch bluegills. Bluegills are most active when the sun is out, as they find comfort in warm water.
