By Marilyn Roberts

Bluegills come in many different varieties such as the red ear, pumpkin seed, and other sunfish. They will work you hard but are fun to catch. It will take a pretty big catch to make a great meal, but it will be well worth it.

For fishing early in the season for bluegill, an ultra lite pole and #4 line will be your best bet. Using a clear line would be the best way to go. To get set up for some bluegill fishing make sure you have all of your hardware such as a good variety of small spinners, a basket or bucket, tackle box, sinkers, hooks, bobbers and jigs.

Using eight or six size hooks and thin wire with a variety of split shot will set you right up. The ultra lite rig will not require you to use as much weight. The #6 hook with a nightcrawler as bait and no sinker is a good choice for bluegill fishing. Use the smaller nightcrawlers, not the red worms. The worms need to be heavy enough so you won't have to use a sinker, but you could use a small split shot sinker if you want.

Most bluegill will be going to the shallow water to spawn in the early season which will bring them close to the shore. You should be able to see some of them by just walking around the edge of the lake. You will want to fish the edges and look for overhanging trees or moss beds. You can fish from the shore or use a small boat. Once you cast, just leave the reel open and they will run with it a little, then you can set the hook.

You need to use a basket or bucket to keep them alive. Drill some holes in the bucket and leave it in the water, tying it to a tree by the shore if possible. A 5 gallon bucket half filled and half out of the water would work well. You want to keep them alive as long as you can and then put them in ice to take home. Now it is time to get ready for some good eating!

Did you find these tips useful? For more fishing tips and articles visit my fishing site at http://www.fishingtipsabcs.blogspot.com and get ready to do some fishing!