5 Things You Need To Know About Bluegill

5 Things you need to know about bluegill to help you catch more bass.
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I was born and raised in Chicago, but after working 12 years in the financial Industry regulating the futures and options markets at the CME/CBOT I decided to pursue my passion fishing professional tournaments and left my full time corporate job. At that point, I moved to Junction City, WI with my wife Sara and two boys Hank and Duke. I've been fishing professionally since 2011 and full-time since 2015. I've qualified for six MLF Championships and won roughly a half million in tournament winnings at the professional level.

[@user-gd1wl8yd5j]

I'm 74 Matt learned more about bluegill in the last 10 or 15 min than what I learned entire life, thanks for this video Matt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MattStefanFishing]

glad to help

[@learningtofish7036]

Best rundown on bluegill influence ever. Been learning to fish about 18 months. I like bass fishing but always want to bring home 15 + pounds panfish or trout. Randy says you can smell blue gill when present and spawning.

[@MattStefanFishing]

I appreciate that!

[@johnrayner5599]

Matt, those are some great tips and a few that I didn’t know but I will now pay more attention to. Thanks and good luck.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Happy to help!

[@lannyseals2084]

Really helpful information and thanks Matt! Stay safe and healthy out there and best of luck!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks! You Too!

[@tp2811]

Great Video. Thanks Matt. Very helpful. Appreciate all your tips

[@MattStefanFishing]

No problem!

[@dennishodson990]

Matt, I believe you have unlocked the mystery of where to find the big schools of bass in winter! I will be looking for those "Cones" in close proximity to all the deeper cover I have waypoints marked. Big schools of Yellow Perch will certainly be a plus too!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Good luck!

[@juleswinnfield826]

Good info again. 2.5 inch shallow crank in life like bluegill paint job is one of my all time favs on gill rich lakes. Thanks for the vid.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for sharing!

[@tommywalker741]

Great tip Matt I have experienced some of those things didn’t know about the others now I know appreciate your helpful tips 🙏

[@MattStefanFishing]

Happy to help!

[@johnbowzer5447]

Great series! Love watching these.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@gabe61willys]

Can’t wait for a green sunfish episode, I have a new home lake that is just full of them. I was blown away by how much more aggressive than the bluegill and pumpkinseeds they are, my soft plastics get shredded by them 😂

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for the idea!

[@kbone87]

I have caught green sunfish on 5" paddle tail swimbaits. They are super aggressive!

[@1999tenorio]

yeah they taste good as well eat em up

[@kenneth9874]

Green meanies

[@troyreynolds7943]

Super helpful.....the popping sound is very key.....and the Christmas tree definitely helps

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@edpelkey7798]

Great info Matt, thank you!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching

[@Choffa09]

Wow this was great info. I didn’t know to look for🎄formations for wintering bluegills 👍

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@normanham8566]

Another great informative video. Glad I found your channel and subbed. I appreciate the simple down to earth explanations of techniques, modifications. And prey - predator behavior. I don’t need the background music or fancy production gimmicks. Straightforward and to the point. Thanks 🎣

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome, thank you!

[@alanstrong55]

They love worms. They are tasty. They fight like mad. Fun to catch. Yes!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Yep

[@davidweston1031]

Most our lakes in Ohio have high populations of bluegills and crawfish very interesting very helpful Thank You from Ohio

[@MattStefanFishing]

No problem

[@aarongreenlee7867]

Hi Matt, great video and awesome tips as usual. I did not know the Christmas Tree formation for wintering blue gill. We have heavy perch lakes around here. I would love your tips on perch forage lakes!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Its in the works!

[@nelsonchiro]

Brilliant!! Thank you!!

[@MattStefanFishing]

You're very welcome!

[@mikeantes9597]

Wow Matt great insight I live in Pa.A lot of places I fish bluegill and perch are the main forage,this info will be very helpful.Greatly appreciated.Thank you God bless

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alcav54]

Great info. Especially number 5. I’ll be using that one up here in New England

[@MattStefanFishing]

Great!

[@chrisboyd1408]

Great information as always

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks again!

[@jjfig86]

Great information thanks for sharing!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@pamelapelech3249]

Such great info. Thank you

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RobFishYT]

I'm on the CA Delta. Bluegill everywhere. They got fry. Always watching them closely. Thanks for the info!

[@MattStefanFishing]

You bet

[@xdonaaavan]

lodi lake during spring to summer is infested with bluegill

[@woefman9467]

Watched again, thanks Matt. 2nd round, I learned that one time on my little home lake I marked what I thought was a new Christmas tree 🎄, went back another day and it was gone. On top that on same day I could never find it with my gps mark, it was giving me the appearance as my gps was bad or tree was floating.

[@MattStefanFishing]

might be a swimming christmas tree haha

[@shawn_r_schultzfishing4883]

Thanks as always, the real question is, when is fishing information not helpful? I know I tune in and learn something every day!

[@MattStefanFishing]

it never hurts

[@mattquinlan4629]

Helpful. Thanks

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@d1fishing321]

Great stuff! Have never heard any of that!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@DAVE_WHITE]

Great information.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@woefman9467]

I can validate what your saying. At my house lake at boat launch people fish with hotdogs, i threw hotdog in water at boat launch, the blue gills hammered and pecked at it, then a bass showed up and the pecking stopped. Then i too one day threw hotdog to the deeper water, peck peck peck, sometimes catch bluegill other times when pecking stopped the bass moved in and ate the hotdog....i freaked.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for sharing!

[@chrisduffy2737]

Amazing!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@robertstone3417]

Matt, great information. I can use that. Don't know why I haven't thought about it more. Anyway, I don't have any experience with sophisticated electronics so generally how deep is water where you frequently find these wintering bluegill schools? I really liked the content of this video.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Bluegills will be in 18-35ft depending on the lake in my experience

[@soonerfan1675]

Great tip! I never thought about the sudden absence of bluegill harassing the bait being because there’s a bass nearby. I always call those little tap tap taps, “little peckers” 😉

[@MattStefanFishing]

Yep it happens a lot

[@garyb4929]

Nice tip, thanks

[@MattStefanFishing]

No problem!

[@Mr40tt]

Thank You

[@MattStefanFishing]

You're welcome

[@ronforeman5317]

Very good! Anytime I see a mess of bluegill beds fish present or not I'll drop a waypoint for future reference.

[@MattStefanFishing]

good tip

[@Gary-ce2hk]

You contradicted yourself. If bluegill are swimming around then they must feel safe meaning no bass. If no activity. There must be bass. I like the stuff you talk about

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for clarifying

[@shannonkirby9295]

Great tip, matt, be safe

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks, you too!

[@jeffreymurphy5313]

Great topic Matt. I've never considered bluegills may be inactive under a certain dock because of the presence of a bass. This seems obvious when you mentioned it. Thanks for taking the time to put out these videos, I always find them full of good information.

[@MattStefanFishing]

No problem!

[@MrMacadac]

No better way to put it ... YOU ROCK !!!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Haha! Thanks!

[@dcslapout5697]

Thanks Matt. I am just trying to find the big gills. 3 finger no problem, hand size and a tad bigger just can’t find

[@MattStefanFishing]

Go deeper

[@woefman9467]

This is type info that is useful, compared to other channels.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sandramcmullin7855]

Great tip and I knew some of this. What's happening when you hear the bluegill in the pads but can't find the bass? This happens occasionally and I blame it on the wind changing from south to north. Could there be other factors?

[@MattStefanFishing]

it is possible there are no bass around, but chances are its more of a feeding window. the bass are just waiting for that window to feed.

[@mikegardiner3934]

great info Matt! New subscriber and looking forward to more. I’m in GA and primarily fish Lanier for those magnum spots. Great topwater time right now. Awesome bream info by the way. God bless!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Lanier is one of my favorite lakes!

[@bcon610]

This is so obviously good info. Look for bait fish and schools

[@MattStefanFishing]

agreed!

[@leroyusa935]

I remember a fishing story that happened at Lake Berryessa in California. A 10+ lb largemouth was floating on top of the water, with a large bluegill stuck in its mouth. Dorsal fin extended and that bass could discharge or swallow it. That storyteller got both fish into his boat. Those were the only fish he caught all day. That poor largemouth was in misery and sooner than later would have probably died.

[@MattStefanFishing]

it happens unfortunately

[@DukeCannon]

Everything you need to know 1. They aren't good to eat 2. They will steal your bait all day 3. They are fun to catch in the boat house when you're 6. Now go get some Northern Pike!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Haha

[@BloodRuin]

Really helpful info. I live near a lake that has a large perch population. Does most of this info also apply to them? are they different enough for a video on perch?

[@MattStefanFishing]

I just released a perch video yesterday

[@BloodRuin]

@@MattStefanFishing thank you. I watched it on my way to work and it was so insightful. I had no idea perch were so different from panfish lol. That's going make a massive difference in how I fish that lake. I've been fishing it totally wrong lol

[@MattStefanFishing]

@@BloodRuin thanks for watching

[@H8er-Maker]

Let's get more prey videos, tilapia, Sunfish would be helpful. I feel like I learned sumthing useful here. Thanks

[@MattStefanFishing]

You got it!

[@ricksonora6656]

I’ve got to find this series on your profile age! Do you ever fish for other species when the bass are quiet or just for a different flavor on the table? (Idea for a video? Off topic for you, but valuable for me when I can’t reach bass from the bank.)

[@MattStefanFishing]

Yep! i love fishing for everything

[@bow-leggedfishing5883]

Here in Southwest Colorado our lake has perch, crappie and rainbow trout as bait for the smallie population. I have assumed that smallies would prefer trout until I found a smallie with a 5 inch perch its mouth. This has me thinking differently about the main forage in my lake. Any thoughts?

[@MattStefanFishing]

smallies LOVE perch. Stay tuned I have a video coming out later this week on perch as a forage.

[@bow-leggedfishing5883]

Thanks for such a quick response!

[@treehunter1]

The only thing I know about bluegill is either they’re great hiders or the tilapia and cichlids have ran them out of my fishing spots 😂

[@MattStefanFishing]

Sorry to hear that

[@thunderboya2571]

#Savethebowfin

[@MattStefanFishing]

Haha

[@shannonkirby9295]

Just like in crime you follow the money. In fishing you follow the bluegill. Lol

[@MattStefanFishing]

fact!

[@Quagula]

Fun fact: bass are a species of sunfish

[@MattStefanFishing]

yep