One of the secrets to unlocking deep lakes with big Bluegills

In our area of the north country (Michigan) there are lakes scattered here and there that are a mystery to many fishermen. They know that there are big Bluegill present. But so many fishermen have failed to unlock their secrets.

What I’m about to share with you is not original to me. I know of a few other anglers that have pieced this puzzle together as well.  They may not be too happy that I’m sharing it with you, but my goal is to make you a better fishermen.

If you hear fishermen, especially ice fishermen, talking about these particular lakes one of the things they will mention is how the fish only bite for a short period in the evening. One thing many fishermen haven’t learned is that in the evening light doesn’t decrease as gradually under water as it does where we are. Because of the way light penetrates the water it actually is darker sooner.

This triggers something special in these lakes. The Midge pupae start their accent to the surface of the lake in order to hatch once this darkness sets in. Of course in the winter the pupae are hindered because of the ice. but at first ice, when the fishing can be some of the best, these midges can still be active.

Most fishermen don’t know what a Midge is. If they saw one they would probably mistake it for a mosquito. Midges can’t bite you and their wings are shorter than their abdomen. There are many thousands of species.

When these pupae reach the surface of the water, spring through fall, they have a mighty task ahead for them. They have to break the surface film and push or emerge their way onto the surface so they can fly away. During this time of emergence they are extremely vulnerable. This is why the big fish key in on such a small item. They are trapped for a moment, so the fish has to expend very little energy to collect them. They can hatch in such great numbers that whole schools of fish will just cruse just under the surface. Sometimes you will even see fins come through the surface. I call this "sharking". This often occurs over very deep water, like around 30 to 40 feet deep. Many times seeing 5 or 6 rise forms coming and going almost continuously.

You have to present your fly ahead of the group of fish so they come to it. If you just drop it on top of them this will spook the larger fish. They are expecting their food to come up, not down. This also keeps the flash of your line and leader away from the fish as well. We are often using leaders 12’ long or more. With tippets going as small as 1 pound line. This is finesse fishing! The nice thing is often your over deep enough water that with these light tippets you don’t have to worry about the fish tangling you up on something.

We make the fly pattern to match the color and size of the naturals. They can range from size #10 all the way down to #28. Most are in the #14 range.

Now you can take and substitute the word Trout wherever I said Bluegill and you have another very accurate article. Enjoy your time out on the water!