Michigan U.P. Bluegill Fishing
Welcome to Bluegill Fishing Country
Whether you venture the west, central or the eastern Upper Peninsula, you can
easily encounter good to excellent "clear water" bluegill fishing if you know
where to go and how to find them.
Most lakes are abundant with them. You can easily fish for them from the
shorelines if you know how and where to locate them.
The best way to locate bluegill is using a boat or canoe. In the winter you can
catch them ice fishing through the ice. There's no doubt about it... pound per
pound, bluegills offer up some real-time angling enjoyment and oftentimes big
rewards. Bluegills are an excellent table fare eating. They are the perfect
catch for a campsite fish fry.
 
Late spring to early summer is the most productive season for big bluegill
fishing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Bluegills become more active as weeds and
weed cover begin to develop and water temps begin to rise- sparking a frantic
feeding frenzy in anticipation to their spawning rituals.
Where there's weeds, you'll find bluegills. Where there's structure you'll find
bluegills. However, where you find weeds adjacent to deep water access... you'll
find big bluegills. That's where you want to fish for the big ones.
Bluegill Fishing Equipment
You can catch bluegills in a variety of ways... spin fishing for bluegills is
one way in which you use a spinning reel and rod to cast bait items such as
worms, crawlers, wax worms or even small minnows.
Some fishermen rely entirely on using a long cane pole with as much as 8 to 12
feet of monofilament attached to the end- along with a light weight and bobber.
This type of fishing is great for fishing from a dock or from a shoreline point
to deep water.
Another and most rewarding way to catch bluegills is with a fly rod. Fishing
bluegills with a fly rod is most challenging and an ideal way to learn and to
master fly fishing techniques before you venture out on lakes and streams for
trout fishing. Summer time is the best time to catch bluegills with a fly rod-
primarily because bait presentations (fly patterns) are plentiful. Be careful
however... fly fishing for bluegills is highly addictive.
So where do you locate the best spots on Michigan Upper Peninsula inland lakes
for lunker bluegill fishing? There are a number of very important lake
characteristics that are easy to identify. Once you know the basics... the rest
comes with practice, patience and experience.
My next continuing article will examine where to look, seek and find bluegills.
I'll also point out a number of great bluegill fishing lakes that I always enjoy
visiting. And you will too!
Keep close
watch for it.
Michigan DNR Lake Maps
Lake Maps by County - Michigan boasts more than 11,000 inland lakes. Now you can access
2,700 inland lake maps On-Line.
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