TACKLE: Any light rod combo will work – the key is a bite indicator, like a spring bobber or noodle rod: “You have to be able to see the bite, because 90% of the time, you won’t feel it with gloves on.”
REPORT 1
HOW JOHN HOYER TRACKS DOWN TROPHY BLUEGILLS (EARLY-ICE)
F
BY: BRETT MCCOMAS
F
irst ice might be your best opportunity of the year to catch truly huuuuge bluegills. Here’s how (and where!) big-fish junkie John Hoyer targets ’em when things lock up, and it’s likely not where you’d think:
Hoyer fishes 3-lb Berkley Trilene Micro Ice Mono, switching to fluoro (which sinks) in deeper water to boost the bait’s drop rate. And here’s why he says 3-lb is the deal: “4-lb is too thick, and 2-lb will lead to heartbreak on a hookset, guaranteed.” Lure selection isn’t as meticulous as it can get later in the season: “I usually go with a 1/16-oz tungsten jig or a 1/16-oz spoon. I’ll tip it with a red Berkley PowerBait Whipworm or Mayfly, and I’ll always have a bait puck of Euro larvae on hand, too. The key is getting it down in front of their face fast when the bite is on.”
Berkley PowerBait Whipworm & Mayfly
LOCATION: Most folks zip straight off to the weeds… while Hoyer runs with the bulls in 15-30’, focusing on soft-bottom basins that flatten out at the base of a saddle or shelf:
Leaning towards dark colours for bluegill, including red, black and motor oil. He’s also partial to lures outfitted with a razor-sharp Berkley Fusion19 hook. TACTICS: Hungry bluegills often suspend low in the water column.
“You’ll see them 2-5’ off the bottom. Sometimes, you can watch Hoyer: “They’re out on them compete for your lure on the flasher – that’s when you can deep flats that have bug life really wail on them.” going on – especially the trophy-sized fish. They’re Once he marks a fish, he moves his bait 12-18’ upward while following the food and not quickening his jig cadence to mimic fleeing prey. really holding to structure.” “Then you let them catch up to it and eat it.” When drilling holes, he starts Using a flasher also helps visualize the way bluegills feed using in deep water at the base of lateral line vibration. a drop-off and moves OUT from there: “A 1/16-oz lure will be a thick red mark, like a fish. If I’m getting
denied, the first thing I’ll do is downsize jigs. The smaller jig shows TIMING: Bluegills are picky when a lake first caps. Hoyer says, up as a thinner, green line, and that lighter frequency is the same “they’re crabby” and “it takes a week-ish for them to adjust to it.” thing that happens on a bluegill’s face. When the bite is tough, less When fish start actively feeding again, time of day is crucial: is more.” “Big bluegills will shut off completely for long stretches – you have And if you’re lucky, to hit the feeding windows, which are usually at first light and then you might just hit a dusk into nightfall.” dusk plankton bloom on some lakes, and Saying you can NOT rule out a lake for big ‘gills until you’ve spent then: time trying to locate fish at lowlight dusk. He’s also a big believer in overcast days with a falling barometer = fish are more likely to feed “It’s go-time. It gets so all day: thick you can’t even mark your jig, but “That’s when we’ll make a long run to a known trophy lake. that’s their food source. If you hit one of those hatches, the bite is Other than that, it’s basically the 2 feeding windows.” usually good as late as you want to stay.”
(Continued on page 45.)
Just Fishing . 44
Winter 2024
