Blast From the Past: Bluegill, 1949

This is in my files, with the date 1949. That's all I know - the year it was written. 
But you'll note some interesting similarities, compared to now.
It seems bluegill fishing hasn't changed all that much...

Among anglers who pursue panfishing, the unanimous choice, for both scrap and downright good eating, is Lepomis macrochirus, aka, the bluegill.
    Just as the largemouth black bass is appropriately called the King of American gamefishes, the bluegill certainly rates as the Prince among Panfishes.

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    Nearly every angler fondly recalls barefoot, boyhood days when the "ol' fishin' hole" gave up dandy stringers of bluegills.

    Whether caught on an accurately cast dry fly, or a one-cent hook and a piece of sandwich meat — the bluegill shows no significant preference. Co-operation seems to be the characteristic of this bantamweight. 

    When on the feed, bluegill will take a bite of anything remotely resembling food, especially the competitive young of the brood. For a session of utmost fishing enjoyment, with delicious eating the reward for a heavy creel, no panfish sport surpasses that which can be had with a light fly rod, once the bluegill are located.
    They seem to school readily, strike vigorously and feed often—a most inviting combination for angling sport.

    However, despite the greediness of the smaller bluegill, which makes them easy victims for the frying pan, the larger family members are more cautious and selective in their eating habits.
    Consistently catching more than the occasional heavyweight bluegill requires study, skill and "know how"—but the satisfaction is worth the effort.

Many Names
    The bluegill is the most widely-known member of the sunfish family and therefore subject to a variety of nicknames. The most common are: bream, black ear bream, blue bream, copperhead bream, brim, blue sunfish, coppernose sunfish, sunfish, sunnies, perch, sun perch, blue mouth sunfish, polladee, blue, punkinseed... and surely there are more.

Characteristics
    The coloration of this fish will vary greatly according to water conditions, but usually the back is dark, olive-green with a purplish luster. Chain-like greenish bars run girth-wise.
The belly often is a brilliant red-copper color while the cheeks are an iridescent greenish-blue. The fins are a deep green and the ear tab, or opercle, is a velvety black.

Wide Range
    The native range of the bluegill includes the Great Lakes region, Mid-and-South Atlantic states. However, it is now found in nearly every part of the United States and Canada.

...and nowadays it has spread to Japan, South Africa, Eastern Europe, Mexico, Italy, and God knows where else.

    Its favorite hangouts are brush piles, lily-pad fields, stumps, bridges, docks, boat landings, weed beds or just any deep hole or pocket wherever there might be aquatic food.

Size
    Although monster bluegills are always being reported, the average size will approximate ½ pound. By the fisherman's thumb rule, a bluegill from 6 to 8 inches is a "nice one," from 8 to 10 inches is a "dandy" and anything exceeding 10 inches is a "lunker."

    Although no official records have been recognized, a number of authentic catches between 2 and 3 pounds have been recorded in various local fishing contests.* These are just as exceptional as a 60-pound muskellunge, a 15-pound largemouth bass, or a 4- pound crappie.

* Remember this is from 1949.
    One year later, in 1950, Ketona Lake in Alabama offered up the current worlds record bluegill - a fish that measured 15″ long, and weighed 4 pounds, 12 oz. It was caught on a cane pole and worms. 
    Today, Ketona Lake is a private pond, owned by a mining company, and is not open to the public for fishing.

    Just for reference, here is my friend from BigBluegill.com, Dr. Bruce Condello of Nebraska, with a pair of fish from a private pond in AZ... and these are "only" in the 3 lb. class....

Flavor

    Regardless of the water it inhabits, the bluegill can be given the blue ribbon for excellence in flavor. The meat is sweet and firm, and from cold water, is more like lobster than finny fish.
Once cleaned, it is practically no trouble to prepare for the skillet.

Foods
    It has been said that the bluegill will eat anything digestible and is the nanny goat of the fish family. I'm certain it is like other fish in that it eats what Nature provides, making it more opportunistic than goat-like. But there is no doubt it will take a great many foods, and the menu is extensive:

Small minnows, both terrestrial and aquatic worms, nymphs, grasshoppers, crickets, small crustaceans, and a horde of countless insects, both aquatic and terrestrials.
And don't forget hotdogs, candy, popcorn or picnic leftovers.

Methods
    The greatest total of bluegill are taken by still-fishermen using garden worms or crickets for bait, 
Fishing with a bait rod and small spinning lures also produces nice catches

Tackle
    For this kind of just plain "bobber fishin,'" the outfit is widely known and easily obtainable:

8 or 10 foot cane pole with a length of line as long as the pole

Gaudy float, light and thin

Split-shot sinker

Size 4, 6, or 8 Carlisle hook

Can of garden worms

    With these, the fisherman is all set to enjoy serious fun when he locates a school of bluegills.

Fly Fishing For Bluegill
    For those with sportier tastes, a fly rod will furnish plenty of thrills, and ever more fly fishermen are finding the scrappy bluegill is great sport on light tackle. In selecting a fly rod, keep in mind that lightness is desired, but the rod should possess enough backbone to handle the bass that eventually horn in to take small lures.

Tackle
    Especially suitable for this type of fishing is a trout weight rod made of split, tempered bamboo in the 8 or 9 foot length, built on a No. 1 ½ or 1 ¾ ferrule. These rods will weigh from 4 1/2 to 5 ounces and balance properly with an E or F level fly line.

Here again, this was 1949. The way rods and lines were categorized was different. In today's parlance, we'd be talking about a slim, 2-5 wt. rod. 
A level line is maybe a challenge to come by, but will allow for a delicate presentation, a double taper line would be ideal.
If all else fails, the standard weight forward trout floating line will do the job. 

    Leaders 4 to 7 feet in length, testing 4 to 6 pounds are recommended. In extremely clear water, a tippet in size 1X or 2X, will produce when the big gills are wary.

    For the most enjoyable fishing and for best results, the line should be dressed* before every trip in order to keep it floating throughout the day's fishing. 
A reel can be either single action or automatic, as there is little stress put on it.
* Modern PVC floating lines had not been invented yet.

Flies
    There are times when the largest plug, spinner, or whirlygig will take the smaller, pugnacious bluegill. Instead, a skillfully cast and  manipulated fly will often produce the largest specimens on a consistent basis.

    The fly that probably gets used the most is some form of the sponge spider.* But time and again, fly fishermen find most any of their pet trout flies in size 10 or 12 to be just as effective.

* In 1949 America, when this was written, the term, "spider" referred to patterns with sponge-rubber bodies and rubber legs. Today, very few people use sponge rubber bodies - closed cell, EVA foam is the norm.

Flies   

    Here are a number favored artificial flies and fly rod lures for bluegill. These are by no means the only ones that will work, but you can hardly go wrong with any of them:

• Rubber legged spiders
• Nymphs
• Wet and dry trout flies of all kinds
• Cork, or foam bodied bugs
• Poppers
• Smallest “Wilder Dilg” feathered minnow flies (bullet head sliders, popular in 1949)...

• Small bucktail jigs with tiny pork strip trailers
• Small spoons
• Spinner-fly combinations...
  
  
  
  
  
  "Fore and Aft Spinner Fly" by David Hutton

    In fact, the bluegill can be taken in so many ways it is a favorite of the everyday angler. While some game-fish require expensive tackle, arduous preparations, and safari-grade expeditions, the prolific bluegill will delight the klutziest angler by making a bobber go crazy.

    Ounce for ounce, the battling bluegill is the most concentrated package of angling sport in the entire finny tribe of fish - that is, if you'll take the word of those fishermen who consistently bring home bluegill instead of excuses.

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I hope you enjoyed this, and will share it with your friends

Tight Lines and thanks,

David

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