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Post 09 Mar 2022, 09:44 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
I’m looking for some new streamer patterns to imitate bluegill while fishing for largemouth bass in ponds. I’ve had some success with Puglisi’s EP bluegill pattern and the Bailes Out Minnow (thanks Brandon), but I want to try something a bit larger and perhaps articulated. The stocky, round shape of a bluegill is difficult to reproduce with fly tying materials, so I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas.


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Post 10 Mar 2022, 15:09 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
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Location: US-IL
I tie something of a zonker type with the lead tape on the top of the hook,so it rides hook point up.I use braided mylar over the lead tape under body.I make a slimmer minnow type lure that kills the crappies and i also caught several stocked brook trout on one.I have made more disc shaped bodies to imitate bluegills and colored them accordingly.I use bucktail as a wing and 3d type eyes.These flies don't really swim well but do fish as a light spoon.Flutter down,twitch,dart.Eratic.I generally fish for bass on top even in steams .The streams i fish are quite clear and subsurface they are finicky but will wallup something on top in the shade or near structure if i'm patient.I have also made a bigger version with a rattle in the belly and rabbit strip for the back for largemouth and pike but with not much success so far.


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Post 10 Mar 2022, 18:42 • #3 
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Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
I have tied puglisi style baitfish (the front trimmed, but the rear long and flowing) with the addition of a stinger hook (attached to wire) to add a bit of a tail. It's a pain to tie.

Do you find that the width is important? I have good luck with traditional articulate streamers


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Post 11 Mar 2022, 10:34 • #4 
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I have tried all kinds of different styles as i have had dozens of encounters with a bass taking a hooked bluegill in the same water where they almost swim together.I think it is the struggle that triggers the take.I have had 3wts bent under docks when this happens.Also had pike do this a couple times.With casting gear i have tried many hard lures as wellas soft baits that are made to look like a bluegill.Fire tiger and clown colored spinner baits seem to way out perform any of the bluegill looking lures.I feel your pain El D.My son and his friends,when they were kids, used to catch small bluegills and use them as bait with great success.If you fish sunfish on the beds there always seems to be some giant bass lurking in the shadows.We had a big one take a stick bobber and crush it last year fishing with the grandsons.


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Post 14 Mar 2022, 11:18 • #5 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Thanks for the tips, guys. Carlz, matching the width of a bluegill is probably less important than the erratic/wounded movement. I agree, Hersh - the struggle is probably what triggers the strike in most cases. Like other predatory animals, I imagine bass have the ability to detect even the slightest weakness in their prey.

I have a few new patterns in mind using palmer chenille or game changer chenille as the body. I ordered some Prismacolor markers to match a bluegill. I’ll post some pictures with updates soon.


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Post 14 Mar 2022, 15:05 • #6 
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I just went and bought my fishing license and what do i see next to the register?Blue gill body soft plastics by Berkley Power Baits.Designed by "bass legend" ....I had to laugh.Love to see what you come up with El D.I will try and post pics of the little zonker type minnows i make.They do work and could probably be configured to a bluegill looking thing.


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Post 16 Mar 2022, 17:27 • #7 
Sport
Joined: 05/14/18
Posts: 75
Location: FT Irwin CA
El Duderino,

I was looking through one of my Tying books this morning (Pop Fleyes) and thought of your post here. In the book he has a tying sequence for what he calls the Spread Fly. It is a pretty straight forward tie with Ultra Hair, but the technique he uses at the end is to put some epoxy on the head, wait for it to almost set, then squeeze the head to make the fibers appear tall and thin, much like a bluegill. I haen't ried it yet but it does look like it could be a useful technique. It will be fun to play around with this and even possibly a shank or two for articulation. I think you could make a great looking bluegill fly!

If you don't have the book, I just googled "pop fleyes spreadfly pattern" and looked at the images and there were some good ideas there.

Anyway, hope this helps, I may play with this also this weekend just to see what I come up with.

John


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Post 16 Mar 2022, 21:57 • #8 
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Joined: 02/02/16
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Location: Georgia
John, thanks for the suggestion. I’ve never tied with ultra hair, but that’s an interesting technique to use the epoxy to build a wider body in the shape of a bluegill.

Here’s the first draft of my bluegill fly. I used a short shank #2 hook with 3 small articulation shanks for a mini game changer style fly. I added an oversized laser dub head to add some height to the body. I may use 1 extra articulation shank in the next version because this one turned out smaller than expected after trimming the chenille. It’s just shy of 3” from head to tail.



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Post 16 Mar 2022, 22:55 • #9 
Sport
Joined: 05/14/18
Posts: 75
Location: FT Irwin CA
That looks awesome! You got me excited to play around with some ideas this weekend!


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Post 17 Mar 2022, 10:21 • #10 
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Joined: 05/19/14
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Location: USA - Illinois
I can't imagine a Bass not eating that awesome looking fly!


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Post 17 Mar 2022, 12:50 • #11 
Guide
Joined: 03/03/22
Posts: 131
Location: NJ
That looks killer! And easy to throw!


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Post 19 Mar 2022, 07:33 • #12 
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Excellent


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Post 19 Mar 2022, 12:22 • #13 
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Joined: 06/21/06
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Location: Orygun
My initial thought was just use bucktail (standard tied in the back, reverse up front), but I think you'd probably end up with a larger fly than you're looking for. Regardless, it would be super easy to get that wider profile with a very small amount of material that wouldn't soak up any water.

Something along these lines (obviously change the colors and downsize--this is also a double, which you probably wouldn't need):


but that pattern several posts above looks amazing!


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Post 19 Mar 2022, 21:07 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Thanks for the compliments! Clarkman, that’s a great looking pattern. I’ve been tying lots of double deceivers lately, which sounds similar to your suggestion. Maybe if I add a laser dub head and shorten the double deceiver a bit, I could get the body profile more like a bluegill. What’s the dubbing material you used for the head in that white fly? Looks a little longer than Senyo’s.


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Post 20 Mar 2022, 18:35 • #15 
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Joined: 06/21/06
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it's Nightmare Musky Flies Titan Dub. really long fibers (like 3-4")...great stuff, might be a touch long for a smaller BG pattern, but you can always make it shorter.


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Post 30 Mar 2022, 22:50 • #16 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Thanks Clarkman, I checked out the titan dub, and I’ll be ordering some soon.

Here’s a bigger streamer pattern that I adapted to imitate bluegill. This is a Galloup bangtail T&A, which has become one of my favorite bass patterns. The dubbing on the head of this pattern normally matches the marabou body, but I went with a rust orange dub on the throat to make it more bluegilly.



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Post 31 Mar 2022, 14:51 • #17 
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Joined: 07/11/14
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clarkman23 wrote:
My initial thought was just use bucktail (standard tied in the back, reverse up front)..


I did try this once, the fly looked great to me, but have not yet found a bass that agrees ;-)

that first draft fly is much better though..


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Post 01 Apr 2022, 22:39 • #18 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/02/16
Posts: 515
Location: Georgia
Here’s the second draft of my bluegill gamechanger with the first one on top for size comparison. This one ended up right at 4” when I added an extra shank and went up to a B10S hook, size 2.



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Post 02 Apr 2022, 09:18 • #19 
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Joined: 04/20/07
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Those look good in the hand or on the table. Try a little experiment for me, please. Use one third the material--yes, two-thirds less--and tie the same pattern. Array them to the same shape, stiffer material forming the outline, propped that way if need be by a few turns of thread underneath to angle them up or down. Softer and just as sparse in between. If they look too sparse to you in hand, take out a pinch more of each material and finish the fly. Fish that one and compare the results.


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Post 03 Apr 2022, 10:22 • #20 
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doug in co wrote:
I did try this once, the fly looked great to me, but have not yet found a bass that agrees ;-)


the ultimate judge, jury & executioner...


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Post 03 Apr 2022, 12:48 • #21 
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Joined: 02/27/16
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I tie a lot of flies just to tie flies.I tie a lot of trout flies just to tie them as i think they are cool and the history and culture behind each one is interesting to me.I have adapted fly tying skills to little jigs to tip with bait for the grand kids and fam and friends that don't and won't flyfish.Do the fish appreciate my efforts?Of course not.I have caught more trout on a foam spider than any correctly tied dry fly.Subsurface they seem to prefer the little zonker body bucktail wing things that i use for crappies.In my mind i have tied the perfect fly for every species i target.Most are complete failures.But i do have a lot of fun dreaming up or scouring the internet for the perfect fly for wherever i plan to fish.Been tying some little deer hair bees and such that dis catch some bluegills but they are a chore to tie and a little foam popper works just as well.


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Post 07 Apr 2022, 18:39 • #22 
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Joined: 09/03/07
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Location: Marble Falls, Texas
You might want to check out the Lunch Money pattern developed by Matt Bennet. Uses Senyo lazer dub, painted dumbbell eyes and a marker. Lots of written and YouTube versions available with a little google search.


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Post 08 Apr 2022, 10:56 • #23 
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Joined: 02/27/16
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I have even thought about a fly with a tie in point somewhere along the sode or top like a blade bait to mimic that side to side struggling commotion a bluegill makes when hooked.That to me is what triggers a bass.Some of the biggest bass i have encountered grabbed a bluegill i was bringing in many times right on the bank.My point is i can make a fly that looks like a bluegill but does not act like one.


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Post 08 Apr 2022, 20:58 • #24 
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Joined: 06/21/06
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Decided to play around with this idea.

Mostly bucktail (I used the backside which helps in both textured color and how well it flares out). leftover feathers from a half saddle for the tail, dubbed head. Only eyes I had of the appropriate size were these glow in the dark. I didn't get quite as much light blue bucktail in there as I think I need for that spawning color, but when you think about it, juvenile bluegill are pretty "blah" colored. This turned out a touch over 3" & based on a pattern of white baitfish (narrower profile) I like to throw for smallies that acts like a combination of a jerk bait and a glide bait.



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Post 09 Apr 2022, 16:34 • #25 
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Beautiful Cman.


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