Armed with Ultra-lite rods and reels, an arsenal of Custom Jigs and Spins jigs, bobbers and with the attitude we are fishing rain or no rain, Sunday morning had Blue Fleck (Tom Donaldson) and myself scootin’ across the water and heading for a spot Tom found to be loaded with the Blue Ears, Gills that is, slough spawning, love sick, orange bellied critters chasing fat bottom girls!
The first spot targeted was an overhanging tree with some weed growth under it in 3-6fow. There were plenty of the boys and girls using this cover just waiting to ambush whatever food source the slight current might bring to them. Tom’s first cast to the tree produced an instant hit on a Gill Pill tipped with a waxie. The bobber never stayed on the surface, once it hit the water it immediately disappeared into the depths.
Second up was my Purple Rat Finkee tipped with a piece of red worm which produced the same outcome, bobber gone. The Blue Gills found in this area had the feed bag on and were not about to let an offering of waxie or red worm skewered onto a jig pass them by.
After schooling this group for awhile we started slipping along the bank looking for another pod of gills. The bank was scattered with pannies in all sizes along with some small bass keeping things interesting. Tossing to logs and clumps of weeds in the shallows produced action. After a hundred yards or so we found the reason for these gills to be in the area. Tucked back into an indentation along the bank on a sand flat was the tall tell sign of spawn beds. Bigger than dinner plates were circular depressions in the sand with male gills standing guard. The male gills that protect these love nest hardly tolerate each other let alone an intruder (in this case, Diamond Jigs, Gill Pills and Rat Finkees). Circling the beds with a watchful eye, anything out of place was immediately remove or engulfed making it a blast to watch these wound tight protectors of the beds beat up our jigs. It was also cool to see how after catching and then releasing a gill, it would return to the same bed and would not eat a jig again. Who says fish are dumb?
I am sure without a doubt, myself and buddy Blue looked and sounded like a couple boys on the river playing hooky from school having a hoot playing with these aggressors 
With this years Spring/Summer whether patterns the spawn has been going on for a while and will continue for a while yet. Hot then cool now rain after rain, this has kept the water temps from spiking making for a prolonged spawn. I really hate to sound like a broken record but, we must all keep in mind how important it is to protect the resources when they are so vulnerable and fight off greed. Practicing selective harvest and maybe keeping a few less fish at these times will insure our future sportsman coming up will have the same enjoyable trips to the waters. And by setting the example many of the up and coming fisherman will follow in our shoes. Being sure not to keep a female and just enough males for a fish fry is the best way I know how to protect these delicious mouth watering delights. Also move around and don’t beat up on one area for the day or day after day. This will insure your spots will be good to fish for years to come.
It is very easy to tell the difference from the males and females during the honeymoon period. The females are a white/grey blue hue color while the males are dressed in there Tuxes sporting bright orange bellies, dark blue barbs down there sides with glimmers of green along with dark, dark, blue ears. The females are also so fat they look like they are about to pop while the males when pulled from the water go off like a water cannon. You can also gage how close the females are to dropping eggs by checking out there vent tube. Some of these girls vent tubes were swollen and protruding a little and orange in color indicating the next rise in water temp will have them dropping there eggs. The squirt gun effect from the males was the indicator these boys are more than ready for the task at hand.
Thanks once again Blue for a great day and tour on Pool 7. It was nice after weeks of deliberation and other commitments to finally get out and spend time putting another adventure in the books together 
And to everyone else…Good luck fishing people 
Pictured here –
Another fine example of a fat Female
Female with the Gill Pill
Fine example of a male sportin’ his wedding attire
Female on a Rat Finkee
Close up of the pie hole
Blue with another Fat Bottom Girl
And of course what would a trip out with Blue be without tossing for a few Bass
Nice gills
Sweet report, I love the photo of the beds
Only one way to put it, simply amazing! Keep up the excellent work you two!!!!!!
Great report buddy! Too bad the pics don’t do those fish justice. Those females look like they’ve swallowed a hardboiled egg.
I’m still kicking myself for not bringing the flyrod…
Thanks for sharing an awesome day on the water. It won’t be too soon and those gills will be out cruising the wingdams. Then the fun starts all over.
The picture of the beds turned out only because of Blue’s quick thinking. After 2 shots and nothing but reflections Blue said try a shot through you sun glasses. I held the polarized lens tight to the camera lens and Walla…..it tuned out pretty darn good
How true, it looked like they should have popped just from eating a Nat
Nice report…Sure are some purdy looking gills.
Sounds like a great day on the water.
but
Nicely done Boys!
Great report & awesome gills guys!
Excellent report Bret!
Questions for ya in regard to selective harvest as it relates to bluegills. One of my buddies always talks about that he keeps a few males for dinner and releases all the females. Is this a good practice? Does a male bluegill only fertilize one bed of eggs or will it fertilize mulitple beds? Or if an angler wants to keep a few fish for a meal, should they be both males and females? Obviously releasing everything is best but what if you do want to keep a few? What’s better in the long run for the overall fishery, keeping males only or keeping both sexes?
Yes
From what I have observed through the years, there are 2, 3 and sometimes 4 males on a bed chasing each other around fighting for the rights to whatever girlfriend might swing in. Each bed will be protected and fertilized from more than one male gill. I guess you could call it a fish orgy 
Like mentioned above though, it is a good idea to hit a spot for a bit a move onto another instead of camping out on top of a spawn site.
Hey Bret,
Thanks for sharing and great looking gills
.
Looks like an awesome day on the water
Dave
Great read Bret!
It sure has been interesting fishing in the shallows this spring. With water clarity as good as I can ever recall ~ a pair of polarized sunglasses in stealth mode is all it takes & you can literally observe the reactions and interactions of present fish.
Great report & awesome gills guys.
I really hate to sound like a broken record but, we must all keep in mind how important it is to protect the resources when they are so vulnerable and fight off greed. Practicing selective harvest and maybe keeping a few less fish at these times will insure our future sportsman coming up will have the same enjoyable trips to the waters. And by setting the example many of the up and coming fisherman will follow in our shoes. Being sure not to keep a female and just enough males for a fish fry is the best way I know how to protect these delicious mouth watering delights.
Doesn’t sound like a broken record to me. Very well stated and I appreciate it. Lots of kids yet to grow up and share the same experiences as we do!
Good Stuff Pal!!
Good stuff guys
I think I heard you guys when I drove by on the interstate
Nice read Bret! I love the shot of the beds under that tree
Awesome work you guys! Love the colors on that big male you’ve got Brett, and good work finding a few bass too. Congrats!
Joel