Sunfish/Funfish

2963 Views 18 Replies 10 Participants Last post by meh.meh.meh.meh.meh., Aug 3, 2016

meh.meh.meh.meh.meh.

Discussion Starter · May 11, 2016

Past couple months my close to home warm water fishery has been a blast. So far I have caught Bluegills, Robins, Crappie, Green sunfish, with a couple dink bass, chubs and one surprising catfish. I have also caught a large sucker, and have seen more of these around, sight fishing these will be an interesting endeavor. It was a helluva strong fish.

The Fishery for me starts at a flood control damn, then a pocket water freestone, then long shallow runs followed by more pocket water then what I call "dead water." I have been picking apart each section unlocking the secrets as best I can, finding out what fish like what habitat.

The bass have been a bit of a mystery, I don't think they are in a large enough population in this section to make it a worthwhile pursuit. They do exist lower in the system, and do well. Some getting over the 4# mark.
The dead water is a long run with lots of fallen trees and a silty bottom, I believe it is formed from a damn that is further down stream in an area with less of elevation change. I just can't seem to figure it out. If there are big bass in this area, I think this is where to find them.

Chubs, which are about as close to trout fishing in warm water with preference to swift current. Lightning fast takes and will put up a nice fight once hooked. A large male is quite the sight to see. Horns all over it's face. I like high sticking for these, or a dry dropper set-up because they will hit both, and double hook-up would be a blast.

Bluegills, the robin redbreast, and the occasional green sunfish represent the highest population of fish caught so far. From a sport fish standard I cant find anything not to like about these fish. They are not at all bashful about hitting a dry fly, nymph, flymph, popper, streamers, or anything else that you can get to them. Finding the big guys out of the school is the challenge. They like to hide out in the back eddies, around dead fall, undercut banks, basically anywhere that they have cover and protection/access to the current. Some kind of floating bug with a dropper seems to be the most effective (knots inevitable though).

Other species that are in this river that I have my eyes on... chain pickerel, roanoke bass, and white bass in the lower reaches

Ill continue to post pictures and reports to this thread as the season progresses.

Anyone have any fun flies/techniques/stories with sunfish or any other warm water species?

See less See more

Reactions: 5

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

Jim F.

· #2 · May 11, 2016

Damsel nymphs have always been my go-to sunfish fly & rarely do the swallow the hook.

Stonefish

· #3 · May 11, 2016

Nice report.
For panfish, I've had on foam spiders with rubber legs.
SF

Reactions: 1

meh.meh.meh.meh.meh.

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 11, 2016

Jim Ficklin said:
Damsel nymphs have always been my go-to sunfish fly & rarely do the swallow the hook.

That reminds me of a good point, I have had a lot of swallowed nymphs with panfish. Only one that couldnt successfully extract.

Do damsel nymphs get dragged along the bottom in short strips?

Jim F.

· #5 · May 11, 2016

In the summer when they're crawling out & molting into adults, I fish them with short strips toward the top of the water column.

Reactions: 1

meh.meh.meh.meh.meh.

Discussion Starter · #6 · May 26, 2016

great day on the local flow today. I fished a double nymph rig under an indicator for the first time for s-n-g's. Landed two doubles, for the first time. It is a bit discombobulating with two fish on the line. Also check out my chub!

Water Vertebrate Underwater Organism Fluid

See less See more

Reactions: 5

madmike98

· #7 · May 28, 2016

SquatchinSince86 said:
great day on the local flow today. I fished a double nymph rig under an indicator for the first time for s-n-g's. Landed two doubles, for the first time. It is a bit discombobulating with two fish on the line. Also check out my chub!

View attachment 117564

That's a crazy looking fish.

meh.meh.meh.meh.meh.

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 1, 2016

madmike98 said:
That's a crazy looking fish.

Not only crazy looking, One of the few fish that actually build nests, too

apistomaster

· #9 · Jun 1, 2016

That fish is well endowed with nuptial tubercles.

Reactions: 1

Angling20

· #10 · Jun 4, 2016

i started using a multitude of flies for sunfish then i learned better and stopped. I pretty much use the bully bluegill and treat it like a streamer with chartreuse color, sometimes black and olive. I will use floaters in the shape of grasshoppers or spiders but, they pretty much catch rock bass better for me. I get the bluegills looking at them, but they nibble and can't seem to fit it into their mouths as easily as the bully bluegill. On occasion i use a dry fly, adams, adams parachute and they are golden as well.

Reactions: 1

meh.meh.meh.meh.meh.

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jun 21, 2016

2

Frog Fish Terrestrial plant Amphibian Electric blue

This guy had a bad day!

Hand Water Finger Thumb Amphibian

Finally time on the home water is paying off. I sight casted to a larger one, but he just was not interested. Sniffed it, looked at it, followed it, but wasn't going to commit. Next time.

See less See more

Reactions: 4

dust in the wind

· #12 · Jun 21, 2016

Isn't that crazy that wound healed perfect and the fish appears fine? Mother nature always amazes.

Reactions: 2

meh.meh.meh.meh.meh.

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jun 21, 2016

b_illymac said:
Isn't that crazy that wound healed perfect and the fish appears fine? Mother nature always amazes.

No scar or anything, scales were perfect. I wonder if it some genetic defect. He fought just as hard as the other ones though

Batt B

· #14 · Jun 21, 2016

SquatchinSince86 said:
No scar or anything, scales were perfect. I wonder if it some genetic defect. He fought just as hard as the other ones though

Heron strike as a young'n would be my guess but it's just a guess.

Vete a la mierda

· #15 · Jun 21, 2016

My guess is that this particular strain of bluegill have evolved over the millennia to grow up with a built-in bottle opener.

Reactions: 3

Batt B

· #16 · Jun 21, 2016

atomic dog said:
My guess is that this particular strain of bluegill have evolved over the millennia to grow up with a built-in bottle opener.

See and I always figured bluegills were more into cans. How wrong I was!

clarkman

· #17 · Jun 23, 2016

SquatchinSince86 said:
View attachment 119443

This guy had a bad day!
View attachment 119444 .

it's got a nice little finger grip...

Reactions: 1

meh.meh.meh.meh.meh.

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jul 16, 2016

2

Water Liquid Fluid Beak Flash photography

Water Liquid Grass Feather Whiskers

Nice bass today on the homewater

See less See more

Reactions: 1

meh.meh.meh.meh.meh.

Discussion Starter · #19 · Aug 3, 2016

I headed out to the home water this afternoon. We had a light rain yesterday that brought in some fresh water, and flows were perfect today. The water was slightly stained, so I left the purple flash bugger on that I had for smallies over the weekend. Trail has gotten so overgrown that I need nobody had been there in a while, which I am gone with. I just tucked in and barreled through.
Once I got my feet wet, I start casting to a spot that I habitually always start with. Nothing extraordinary about it just a nice hole at the end of a side channel with a small riffle on the side and back.
I always start with this to get warmed up and to see whose home. Usually a couple Robin redbreast, chub, etc. Nothing too exciting but it serves a consistent ice breaker.
First cast in I get a good tug, but miss the set. It was a little bigger than the usual suspects. I try again and hook into probably a personal best LMB and certainly the my biggest out of this river.
He swam past me, past the riffle and into the fast water behind me. I thought for sure something was going to give. Nope I manage him, lip him got the fly out. Before I could grab the camera he made I need last effort and wiggled out of my grip. So no picture. Go figure. I wonder if was in that section feeding or if I can find him there next time.

I did manage a couple other bass one photo worthy

Vertebrate Organism Fish Grass Fishing

See less See more

Reactions: 2

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.