As the title states, bream (bluegill, shell cracker) are spawning in my area right now and I'd like to hear everyone's favorite imitations and presentations. 

 

I suppose my go to's are swim jigs, square bills and some poppers. Topwater always plays a big role this time of year. I've also been wanting to give the rage shell cracker a shot but have yet to get any. 

 

 

So what ya got?

swimbaits like mattlures ultimate gills, mattlures hard gills, jackall gantarels

Swim jig with a rage menace for sure ! 

Swim Jig that I make and a LC 1.5 in BE Gill is what I have been using.

 

Allen

The second from the bottom .

 

50 minutes ago, scaleface said:

The second from the bottom .

 

I havebeen fishing a long time and know a lot about baits but have no idea what that is.?

Allen 

1 hour ago, Munkin said:

Allen 

 

Rogers Big Jim  .

Wacky rigged senkos, no idea why they would work for bass that are feeding on bluegill, but they do and that's all I care about.

1 hour ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Wacky rigged senkos, no idea why they would work for bass that are feeding on bluegill, but they do and that's all I care about.

I've yet to find a situation where a bass won't eat a senko in their face

Zoom makes a Sungill Super fluke that is an excellent bluegill imitation. Also the honey candy colored rage tail menace rigged either on a texas rig or on a swimjig as a trailer are great choices depending upon depth and where you want your bait in the water column.

 

Lots of good bluegill/bream/pumpkinseed swimjigs out there. Northstar, Siebert, Dirty jigs, 6th sense, and Lockjaw all make some superb patterns.

https://www.savagegear-usa.com/product/view/lures/bluegill-lures/bluegill-5-small-pre-rigged

 

I think just about everything I throw looks like a bluegill..........or a perch...........or a crawfish.....or a minnow/shiner/bait fish species to the bass here. But since they have pea brains, I don't care what they think it is, as long as they think it's food or a threat and put it in their mouth.

Spro Bronzeye in Killer Gill

Swim Jigs, Tubes, Swim Baits -thinking about fishing around spawning colonies.

 

Not all that confident with "imitation" in general though; Not that I don't attempt it. Seems other things take priority -not spooking them, getting it to them, depth, speed, visibility, action/triggering. Hatch matching is at the end of the line. Not that I don't go out of my way to get close to what I think suggests "bluegill" to bass. I've repainted cranks and choose color schemes on my lures and skirts thoughtfully. I'd like to think it makes a difference. But I cannot say and have seen plenty that would make me think otherwise. But, I do gain a charge of excitement/confidence when I tie on a carefully chosen, and tweaked, bluegill-esque lure.

Anything that smells like a bream,Tastes like a bream and Looks like a bream. :I

In all seriousness my favorite presentation is Swim jigs with Bluegill flash Kietechs,BBB warmouth and GP Chart tail flukes.

The Zoom trick worm that I believe is watermelon w/ black flake and a chartreuse tail on a split shot rig is awesome. A Bold Bluegill Robo on a drop shot works too.

 

The Jackall Gantarel can land you some great fish too.

On 4/20/2017 at 9:25 PM, IndianaFinesse said:

Wacky rigged senkos, no idea why they would work for bass that are feeding on bluegill, but they do and that's all I care about.

 

 That reaffirms two things:

 > Bass are opportunistic predators

 > Availability and preference are easily confused

 

    Given a choice, bass prefer forage that does not have spiny rays

 

Roger