I'm a relatively new fisherman and did not get a chance to growup slaying bluegills but went straight to bass. Now that I have kids, I want to give them that quintessential experience but I'm having alot of trouble catching bluegills of any size. Usually I have a light rig with a size 6 gold aberdeen hook, a splitshot like a foot above and a float just above that. I'm rigging up whole red wrigglers on them but still struggling. I wonder if its because I live in such a pressured area.

You probably just live in a highly pressured area. Fishing around sunrise or sunset tends to work the best in these area.

 

Why not try fishing for stocked trout in your area? You can use the same rig and they're more fun to catch. Make sure to get some powerbait as well.

Are you saying you’re using a small live worm on an Aberdeen hook and you aren’t even getting bites? If that’s the case then I would highly suggest finding new water. If you can’t get a Lepomis to bite on a live worm then you may be fishing for fish that simply aren’t there. 

I'm getting sometimes i am getting bites but i think i'm missing them. I think my hook might be too big. I was using a size 6 aberdeen yesterday. Will probably bump that down to size 10. Think i will practice float fishing on my own as well, i do wonder if there is some skill involved.

 

As @Jar11591said, if you aren’t getting bites try a different spot. If you are getting bites, but not landing them, try waiting a little longer after the bobber goes under before you set the hook. Good luck!

I’m going to put my .02cents in also. I fish retention ponds that although most people are fishing for bass the bluegill get skittish just due to the daily commotion. But what I have found that works for me is a slip bobber with a bobber stop and a small jig, I use 2 setups one with a 1/32 ounce jig and one with a 1/16th ounce jig which are both tipped with Berkeley Gulp Alive 1” minnows. I’ve found that it’s the best system for me and as a bonus my wife no longer yells at me for keeping worms in the refrigerator 😆 

I fish for bluegill occasionally. I have the best luck with a bobber about the size in diameter of 1"- 1 1/8", weighted if I need a bit more casting distance, no split shot, and about 8" to 12" of line between the hook and bobber. I use a #2 or #6 hook, depending on the size of the fish.

 

I have had good luck hooking a red worm in the middle, through, and then hooking again just 1/4"-3/8" from the first entry point, so that both ends freely move.

 

Normally if I thread the worm on the hook a bunch of times, I get picked clean.

a worm under a bobber is the simplest fishing so you're on the right track for getting kids into it.  First, confirm that there are fish where you're fishing.  If the water is semi clear, you should be able to walk around and see bluegills in the area.  If not, keep walking.  You can also try throwing out a chunk of white bread half the size of the palm of your hand.  Once one starts to eat it, it will pull more in and you can be sure they are there.

 

I would downsize to a #10 hook.  A 6 is a lot for smaller bluegills.

 

I wouldn't use a whole worm.  you only need a 1/2" piece or so.  Putting a whole worm on a hook just means there is a whole lot of worm that doesnt' have a hook in it.  They will grab the tails and run away from their friends.  You think you've got a great hit but pull and miss.  I like just enough worm to cover the hook shank plus a 1/4-1/2" tag end.

 

I don't know what size bobber you're using, but anything bigger than a 1" red and white bobber is too much for bluegills.  If that's all you have is bigger ones, then add 2-3 B split shot right under the bobber. Ideally you want the bobber to be halfway sunk when it is just sitting there.  That way even the lightest pecks show the bobber dipping under the water.  Or, you could use weighted bobbers if you have them.  Keep it simple.

 

Once you tune the setup just a little, then any time the bobber moves, either down in the water or away from you you should be able to set the hook on a bluegill.  This is how I teach kids to fish and its about a foolproof as you can get.  

Man so I went out on my own without the kids and setup an ultralight with a slip bobber split shot and a size 8 snell hook. Couldn’t get anything to bite the worm. The water was clear enough and shallow enough that I could see them. Some would peck a bit but they were so easy to spook. I think some issues could be that maybe the bobber was too big. Will try the bread tip next time. Not sure how to work on this. Might try the jig at the end over the hook. Thanks for the help guys

Go to Walmart or wherever you can find some small split shot and Eagle Claw cricket hooks, buy two or three packs. Buy you a cricket basket while you’re there and find a store that sells crickets. Lite or ultralight rod with a reel spooled with 4lb line and your in business.

 

For me, crickets work so much better than worms. Meal worms are okay too, but I stay away from night crawlers and red wigglers.

Rora,

     To go further with the bread.  Cheap white bread can make excellent dough balls.  Buy you a loaf of Wonder bread.  Drop your hook size to a size ten or twelve.  You take a hunk of bread out of the center of the slice - no crust. Wad it up and stuff it in your mouth, chew it a bit to moisten it and the when it is dough-ey.  Take that blob of dough out of your mouth. break off little pieces off the blob about the size of a small split shot or smallish pearl and roll it in your fingers so it's round.  Impale it onto the point of the hook. It works a wonder for pressured fish because no one uses it. 

     You can also throw some in for chum along with some small pieces of unchewed bread.  Some uncooked oatmeal can also work for chum.

    I've used the above to also catch golden shiners here in Texas. The best big bass bait known to man other then a water dog.

Fishingmickey  

Thanks for the help guys. going to try the bread trick with smaller hooks and the crickets. I have heard crickets are better but I wanted to use the worms i grow for vermicompost. Its weird where i try to save money when I have spent hundreds of dollars on gear and lures that i havent even opened yet... 

 

One thing Rora, no matter what you use the fish still have to be there. Move around as best you can until you find them, play with your depths too.

On 7/16/2025 at 2:00 PM, Rora said:

I was using a size 6 aberdeen yesterday. Will probably bump that down to size 10.

No need to downsize below 6. That's plenty small for the gills you're looking for. 

 

Try fishing deeper. At least here in NY, the bigger gills can be found in deeper water this time of year.