Place I fish at has tons of weeds all along shoreline. Right at the weed line and for 10-20feet I see blue gills popping all over going nuts . I figures that the bass are hunting them so I threw my rapala minnow and pulled it through and got a nice 14inch bass. After that I kept trying all over where the blue gills were popping but I got nothing but blue gills. I tried jigs to get under and they didnt get any blue gills but the bass would not bite them either.  The floor in these spots is all deep weeds too that come up high so its hard to fish there anyway. Probably 10-15 feet deep  with thick weeds coming up maybe 5 feet of clean water but some spots where weeds come almost to surface. 

 

What is a good way to fish this situation?

 

 

I would try just outside the "bluegill zone" so to speak. Near them but not where you will be getting nothing but 'gills. Might have to hunt around a bit and look for a point or drop off and try a bit deeper, change to a spinnerbait or something other than a "minnow" lure.

3 hours ago, N.Y. Yankee said:

I would try just outside the "bluegill zone" so to speak. Near them but not where you will be getting nothing but 'gills. Might have to hunt around a bit and look for a point or drop off and try a bit deeper, change to a spinnerbait or something other than a "minnow" lure.

Oh man yeah thats right a spinner bait! I had a bunch with me too but it didnt cross my mind. I never caught one on a spinner bait but been buying them most are still in package at the bottom of my tackle box. Hopefully I get back there soon and get to try this out. 

Try T-rig soft plastics. BGs will nip at 'em, few (if any) will hook-up.

 

Karl

Bluegill spawn is my second most successful time of the year for numbers.  Once you find them up on shore to spawn start looking for nearby ambush points.  That is where the bass will be.  Laydowns, grasslines, shade lines, an extra large rock in a pile of riprap, docks.  I've even caught them just holding up against a metal seawall about 10 yards from the riprap where the gills were.  Don't throw at the BGs.  They are highly territorial right now and will nip at everything that comes close including big bass.  The bass won't be mixed in with them.  They are looking to ambush single bluegills and they hold at ambush points on the perimeter.  Oh, and bridges are awesome if you find bluegills spawning close to the corners.  There will be huge bass in the deep water holding close to the pilings and corners that rush up and snag bluegills.  Fish from the top down there.   Don't be surpised if you get a hard slap but no bite.  Keep throwing and change the speed of retrieve faster or slower until you find what they are expecting.  

 

A spinner with a paddle trailer could work as mentioned above but my two best lures for BG spawn are a dark-colored bladed jig with a Netbait Paca turned sideways or, if they want something slower, a blk/blu football jig with Rage Craw.  This year during bluegill spawn I caught more bass on a blk/blu @Siebert Outdoors Fogy with the stainless bubble blade than anything else.  Even when the bites were slow I could start using the bubble blade and catch bass.  I love the BG spawn.  I'm jealous that it's over where I am at.  Happy fishing!

Bass that are targeting bluegill, whether they are spawning or not, will stage at the first depth change away from them and only enter their zone when actively feeding. Yes, there are bass that will inhabit the same areas as the gills, but they aren't there to feed. The reason is more likely because of the cover.  Those staging away from the gill activity can be caught with slower, vertical presentations while the bass that are mingling with the gills will succumb to a fast moving reaction style bait. 

As those cover areas usually consist of weeds, rocks, or brush a spinnerbait, buzzbait, or fast moving swim jig can elicit a reaction strike from them. Those same tactics will work when the staging bass move in to feed on the gills.

Zoom Super Fluke in Bluegill or Bluegill Flash weightless seems appropriate in that scenario or a Jackall Gantarel Jr.

Bluegill swimbaits. I like baits like a FishLab wake or a Savage Gear Pulse tail bluegill. 

I like to use shallow running crank baits in submerged grass like that.  I try to keep the bait ticking the top of the grass.  The swim jig is my favorite option when the conditions are too calm for a spinner bait or bladed jig.

2 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Bluegill swimbaits. I like baits like a FishLab wake or a Savage Gear Pulse tail bluegill. 

 

I do the same, except I use Mattlures bluegill, and crappie swimbaits in the small size.

I fish a smaller lake that has bluegill as the main forage. The best thing I've found is a 4" to 6" plastic worm in junebug or purple. A light T rig or shakey head both work, with a lift drop retrieve or a slow swimming retrieve. Fishing them slowly has worked best, in all seasons.

I love fishing the suspending bluegill baits when I know there are  bluegill around.  They look so realistic I gain confidence throwing them.

That's a great pic Bluebasser86.

If fish are eating bluegill, I would fish with a live bluegill! (Check regulations first )

I would just fish the grass beds and not think about the bluegills .

I'd definitely try a swimjig on top the weeds if you're seeing bass actively chase the gills but my #1 would be a 3/4 - 1oz jig flipped in that deep grass.  The bass will only feed on those suckers at certain times.  They're most likely hunkered down in that grass most of the day.  You'll need to "go get them."