Time to Chase Big Boji Gills

Time to Chase Big Boji Gills

By Steve Weisman

Spring means open water, and for me that means the business of chasing my true passion: big bluegills. What I like about fishing here on the Iowa Great Lakes, especially the Okoboji chain of lakes, is that there is enough diversity that you can really fish bluegills non-stop moving from lake to lake to lake from the time ice leaves the lake.

Initially, much of my early spring fishing comes from the shorelines and docks. Top spots include Triboji Boat Ramp area on the northwest corner of West Okoboji (the circle canal), Turtle Lake on the southwest side of West Okoboji (near Crescent Beach) and the Trestle (railroad pilings) located just to the east of the bridge between West Okoboji and East Okoboji.

Other potential areas include the public boat docks on Lake Minnewashta and the docks in the city park on Upper Gar. Now, if you want to get the boat out, then you can fish two other areas with a lot of dock fishing options: Millers Bay canal and The Harbour.

These are all prime early season bluegill spots: shallow water that will warm quickly with lots of structure around (docks and railroad pilings). Just a few sunny days will warm the open water and as if by magic the gills (and crappies, too) will appear. Obviously, sunny days with little wind are best for fishing.

During this time, I still like to think ice fishing presentations, especially if I am fishing around the docks or pilings. So, I am using tiny ice jigs with tungsten jigs working the best, especially if I am straight-lining. The tungsten jig is small in size, but its weight makes it easier for me to feel the jig. My other go-to jig is a tiny black hair jig. Talk to other anglers, and they will all have their own special lure!

When fishing docks or pilings, I like to work the jig up and down the water column with a really tight jiggle, jiggle, jiggle…stop. You’ll know it’s a nice gill, because the bite is more of a solid thump rather than a peck, peck, peck.

When you hook into a 9-10 inch gill, it can be quite a challenge getting the fish up and out of the structure. At times, crappies will move in, and a 12-inch paper mouth is also a little tricky to land! Add in a largemouth bass and even a northern pike once in a while, and it can get really interesting!
If I plan on casting away from the docks or want to just keep the jig at a certain depth, I will go with a small egg shaped bobber. I like this shape, because I can roll the bobber up just a little bit and then jiggle, jiggle, jiggle…then let the bait back down. Sometimes it takes a pretty subtle roll of the bobber to entice a bite, especially when the gills are finicky.

If I want to use live bait, I will either tip the jig with a wax worm or silver wiggler. As the water warms, another great option is using garden worms or buying red worms from the bait dealers. There are times when nothing beats a good old worm!

Often times, however, I will use some form of finesse plastic with no live bait. Depending on the clarity of water, I will use 2-3-4 pound test Berkley Trilene XL monofilament line. The clearer the water, the lighter the line.

The more I fish an area, the more I am able to locate the best structure: dock or piling. As in many other fishing situations, not all structure is created equal! So, after a day or two of “checking things out,” I pretty much know the areas that hold the most fish. One thing I do find, however, is that when the gills really go on the bite, a lot of other anglers show up. So, it becomes a “get there first” mentality.

Really this type of fishing is good from ice out through about the first or second week of May, depending on how fast the water warms up. A cooler spring means this fishing will last longer.

Once this fishing is over around mid-May, I will begin to use my pontoon and target bluegills as they begin to think about spawning. This can be close to a month as I work the shallowest body of water to the deepest. First it’s Upper Gar, then Minnewashta, then East Okoboji and finally West Okoboji. Again, I work the docks, while at the same time looking for the dished out areas that signal the bluegill spawn.

When they move to their beds, it is simply a matter of casting the bait so that it ends up right above the bed. It’s pretty much non-stop action. Usually, I am looking at areas 2-4 feet in depth. However, West Okoboji is a different situation, where the spawn may take place in up to 10 feet of water. That’s what gin clear water will do! Once again, you need to know your fishing area. With all of the docks on the Okoboji chain, it becomes a process of elimination to find the best ones.

I have found in clear water situations that by going slowly along the outside edge of the docks, I can quickly eliminate fishless areas. I also try to work the quiet side of the lake, which at least for that day, eliminates all of the docks on the other side of the lake.

It is here, especially, that I will rely on the red worm for bait. They just can’t seem to resist these little wiggly worms. This is the time to catch some of the really big bluegills, and even though we take our share for meals, the group of us that fishes together tries to return some of those big fish, especially the fat-bellied females. I kind of call it our selective harvest mentality!

Oh, one more thing. This is the perfect time to get kids out fishing. Nothing can hook a kid more quickly on fishing than a rod-bending tussle with a big gill!