Trying to figure out what the best bait for bluegill can be troublesome but once you figure out what is working for the day, you’ll be catching fish right and left in no time!
Sometime though, you need to think out of the box, come prepared and be ready to experiment and try different things. You would be surprised what can work and what simply doesn’t. Along with this, the more different types of baits you bring along, the more different things you can try. Sometimes there simply isn’t a best bait for bluegill fishing and you’ll need to have a variety of baits in your tackle box so you will have a successful day of fishing.
best bait for bluegill
Photo by zekeduggan / CC BY
Thankfully, we have provided you with a list that will cut out all the trail and error we had to do. Without further adu, here is the list of the Top 5 Best Bait for Bluegill Fishing.
Top 8 Best Bait For Bluegill
These are just simply suggestions that we’ve tested and had great success with! Usually they work but fishing for bluegill can have multiple factors that may make them not wanting to bite. Just give these baits a try and I’m sure you’ll be catching bluegill in no time!
Night Crawlers
Night Crawlers are a classic bait for bluegill fishing but you still need to get them a shot before you most on to other baits. Thankfully you should be able to find night crawlers easily in most cities for only a few dollars. They also last a long time as you can break them up into smaller pieces.
If you end up having to search for some yourself, they’ll usually hangout under logs or heavy rocks. You’ll have a lot of luck using night crawlers for any time of panfish really.
Leaf Worms/Red Worms
You may have a little trouble finding leaf worms but usually you will have success finding them at a local bait store or you can even have them delivered to you. If you are in search of some leaf worms, start by checking under logs, rocks or under big decomposing leaf piles. Due to their smaller size, you may have trouble keeping them on the bigger sized hooks.
Wax Worms
Wax worms have turned out to have some great success when fishing for bluegill. We usually use these in stained water as they tend to stand out fairly well from the surroundings. You most likely though will only find these at a bait shop or you’ll need to order them online.
Minnows
You’ll be able to find these at any local bait shot and can be bought by the dozen. If you are looking to catch your own, that can easily be doe using a seine or minnow trap hanging at the end of your dock. We’ve had great success catching panfish in general with minnows and often will be the difference between having a successful day of fishing compared to catching nothing.
Just make sure you aren’t using minnows that are too big. You will need to use smaller minnows as bluegill don’t have that big of mouths. If you’re not having a good day of fishing, you might need to try some minnows.
Sweet Corn/Canned Corn
Believe it or not, sweet corn will work! Some even claim this to be one of the best bait for bluegill currently out there today! Its simple, easy and you can guy a lot of it on the cheap! Just put a piece on the end of your hook with a bobber attached and you’ll be ready to go!
White Bread
Yes, you read it right! Bread. We’ve had success using just bread on the end of our hook. Make sure you grab a decent piece and roll it into a tight all and simply hook it on the end of your hook. It may fall off and you’ll have to replace it but usually you’ll find some sort of success with just white bread!
Crickets
This may not be something freely available for everyone, but you haven’t fished until you’ve tried crickets! Its a classic old timers trick and if you have a open prairie or field by you; you must give it a try! Grab a net and drag it through the grass. More often than not, you’ll catch a few crickets.
It may be a little hassle, but crickets are one of the best bait for bluegill fishing that most seem to overlook. These will break any boring day of fishing!
Hot Dogs
Okay, this was a weird one but our friend suggested that we need to try it! He ended up catching 20+ bluegill simply with store bought cheap hot dogs.
After trying it, we can say this bait worms for bluegill! Just make sure you have a large enough piece on the end of your hook as they are able to snag it off quite easily.
There you have it! Our Top 8 Best Bait for Bluegill fishing! The more variety you have in your tackle box though, the greater success your day will bring. Have you found the best bait for bluegill fishing?
