The Bluegill is the State Of Illinois favorite Fish. The Crappie is my favorite fish. Both are equally popular at Shabbona Lake. Often fishing articles are about Muskie, Walleye & Bass. Not too many articles about Crappie & Bluegills. Let’s give the Bluegill & Crappie some needed respect. Many, many anglers are confused about how to consistently catch our favorites. Let’s see what we can come up with to help everyone.

First concern of pan fishermen should be boat control, which includes proper anchoring. Always anchor your boat up wind from the intended target area. Let you bait drift into the strike zone, to keep it in there as long as possible. If you make a cast sideways or straight into the wind, you bait will very quickly drift off to unproductive water. Keep the wind to your back!!! The object of fishing is to fish where the fish are!

Terminal tackle: Terminal means what is attached to our lines. First suggestion, do not use snaps or swivels. Tie you hook or jig directly to your line. This will result in more bites. If I have to choose between more bites or ease of hook changes, I choose more bites. For Crappie & Bluegill you want to use 4-6 pound line. Heavier line will result in fewer bites. Again the choice of having to re-tie because your line breaks or re-tie and get more bites, I re-tie.

Next up is hooks. Use thin wire Aberdeen hooks, size 8 & 10 for Bluegill and size 6 & 8 for Crappie. At Shabbona Lake you will find almost all of the Bluegill & Crappie in or near structure. When snagged, and you will get snagged at Shabbona Lake, the thin wire hook allows you to exert pressure on your line, which straightens the hook out, and releases it from the snag. As for jigs, most jigs have stiff hooks, so bring extra jigs with you. If you are not losing hooks at Shabbona Lake, you are not catching fish.

Bobbers: My old fishing buddy said that big red & white bobbers were good for only one thing, Christmas Tree ornaments. Sure they make it easier to cast farther & longer, but you will certainly notice less bites and catch less fish. Rule of thumb is to use the smallest bobber you can, it will offer the least resistance when the fish bites.

For pan fishing there are Crappie stick bobbers, slip bobbers and tapered bobbers. A stick bobber is long and narrow bobber with a bulge in the middle. There are three ways to fish it by changing the weight added to your line. With just one BB split shot the bobber lays flat in the water. If that bobber moves in any direction, set the hook. Don’t wait for the bobber to go under, bobbers cannot move on their own, it is a fish bite.

With two BB split shots the bobber will stand upright. Now, here is where it gets a little tricky. If that bobber starts to tip over and lie down, set the hook, it is a fish bite. Crappie & Bluegill tend to feed upward, because their eyes are located at the top of their heads. So as they grab the bait, it relieves the tension on the bobber and it lies sideways. Catch that fish!

The third situation you need to use is to add three BB split shots. This makes the bobber stand upright, plus it will make the bobber suspend slightly deeper in the water. If you see that bobber move up in the water column, but not tip over, set the hook that is a fish. Crappie are known for light bites, and this is a bite, the Crappie has engulfed the minnow and is just sitting there with it.

Slip bobbers are very effective because the bobber can be set to let the hook go to any desired depth. You first put a slip knot on your line, followed by a small sliding bead, then the bobber, the weight(s) and finally the hook. The slip knot is very small and will be retrieved back on your reel as you wind in your line. Set the slip knot at whatever depth you believe the fish are at.

Let’s use fishing in the deep trees as an example. In Illinois you are allowed to fish with two poles at a time. We know that the depth in the deep trees is about 30 feet. Set both of you poles up with slip bobber rigs, with the slip knot set at 15 feet. Put your bait on and start fishing. No bites after 10-15 minutes, reset one pole’s slip knot to 14 feet, the other pole to 16 feet. No bites, set the 1st pole at 13 feet, the 2nd pole at 17 feet. Got a bite right away at 17 feet, move both poles to 17 feet and you are on fish!!! Also remember to change your bait often to keep a fresh lively one on the hook.

In the early Spring, which is where we will be on April 20th & 21st, Crappie and Bluegill will still be in deep water. They will not move shallow until the water warms up and weeds start to grow. They need shelter or a hiding place. So they will be in the fish cribs, brush piles or the submerged standing trees. Bluegills tend to suspend above the Crappies. So if you are catching Bluegill while looking for Crappie, just fish a little deeper.

My last tip is that you need to be aware of water conditions. If we have had little or no rain, the NMZ and the fish cribs will be your best bet for Bluegill and Crappie. If we have had a lot of rain or if the lake is cloudy due to rain or wind, your best bet will be the deep trees.

Shabbona Lake is currently going thru an outstanding Crappie surge. It started about two years ago and has gotten better every year. It probably is a result of a great spawning class in 2009 & 2010. These 2-3 year old Crappie are growing very fast and they are very heavy. Average size kept is around 10-11 inches, nice Crappie anywhere.