# Help Catching Keeper Gills Versus Dinks



## GVSUKUSH (Mar 9, 2004)

One problem i've had with the tungsten and "The gill pill" type baits is that they're so small I miss alot of fish...I think i'll mess around saturday with a bigger teardrop, see if that makes a difference, at least add more spikes and experiment.


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## Cobra (Jan 19, 2000)

GVSUKUSH said:


> One problem i've had with the tungsten and "The gill pill" type baits is that they're so small I miss alot of fish...I think i'll mess around saturday with a bigger teardrop, see if that makes a difference, at least add more spikes and experiment.


Pinch the barb and open the hook gap angle a bit, take them on #18 and even #20s if I have to


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## stinky reinke (Dec 13, 2007)

What I would do in your situation:

Fish first and last light religously

Sight fish and play keep away from the dinks

Stay mobile - Don't set any tip ups they will only anchor you to one area

Still catching dinks - keep moving

Use 3 to 4 spikes on jig

Still catching dinks - move to a different lake


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## ibthetrout (Sep 24, 2003)

Oakley said:


> I aree with GVSU - if you can see your bait, either through a bigger hole or with a camera, just pulling it away from the dinks helps a lot. If you don't have these two options, I have done this...put down a smaller jig and if a smaller fish is on (know this by the feel), then leave him down a few seconds (5 seconds or so) to swim and struggle then pull him up. This agitates the other fish and attracts bigger gills. Stop and count 30-60 seconds (the dinks start to disperse). Then send down a bigger lure like the small swedish pimple with 4-5 waxies impaled. Very often, the bigger gills see the bigger bait come down and hit it right away before the little gills can get it. Then repeat the process(small jig, struggling dink, wait, send down bigger bait). This tactic has worked for me. Might work for you too.


Very interesting! I am going to try this technique. Thanks for the tip!!


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## jvanhees (Dec 13, 2010)

iLiveInTrees said:


> Yeah! Definetely, I forgot to mention that. Ever since I got my flasher 2 years ago, I'm catching suspended fish. Before I had the flasher I always fished bottom, and I definetly notice that the biggest fish in the water column are the suspended ones, if there are any.


Ill second this..I used my flasher for the first time last night. Fishing was dink after dink off the bottom in 25 FOW. All the sudden there is a huge mark at 15 ft. I reel up to 14.5 and jig. BAM!! Real nice crappie. Did it again for a couple more keeper gills as well.


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

GVSUKUSH said:


> One problem i've had with the tungsten and "The gill pill" type baits is that they're so small I miss alot of fish...I think i'll mess around saturday with a bigger teardrop, see if that makes a difference, at least add more spikes and experiment.



I would guess it isn't the jig making you roll fish. It could be a few things, it could be rod choice, line choice, hook set, or the fish just haven't taken it in far enough.


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

stinky reinke said:


> What I would do in your situation:
> 
> Fish first and last light religously
> 
> ...



Hands down a mid day bite on a sight fishing bite has been super productive for me, Really big gills and sunfish are really smart and use there great vision that they have to look over your bait.

There is some lakes that keep away is the name of the game to get to the big fish like the lake I fished today. Report to come.Then there is other like Ieatantlers is talking about more to come on that soon.

If you are fishing Redear/pumpkinseed lakes moving to fast is a bad thing, a very bad thing. Many of the lakes I fish redears/pumpkinseeds are sight fishing lakes. I will spend a lot of time just trying to find a opening in the weeds where I can see bottom. More to come on this also .


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## GNFG (Jan 3, 2010)

Down south on Lake St. Clair we fish fish 3 feet of weedy water from 3:30 till 5:00 pm. The bull gills really come alive then!
We also find the big perch and bass full of young bluegill/sunnies. It would follow then, that if your lake does not have a healthy population of predators, the gills may be stunted.
GNFG


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## psm (Feb 23, 2009)

psm said:


> Wow. Great stuff -- thanks, fellas. To summarize, so far we have the following:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm having trouble editing the above post, so here is the updated list:


Fish the bottom with a split shot, and lift to big blue gills instead of dropping down.
Use spikes only.
Just weed through the dinks to get to the bulls.
Use plastics.
Try bulked up presentations; 4 or 5 spikes (x2).
Fish holes fast and aggressive; if the first fish is a dink then move.
Pull bait away from dinks and wait for bigger fish (requires spearing hole).
Use tungsten jigs (x3). Big ones.
Find suspended fish -- usually they are the bigger ones.
Find a different lake with less stunted fish.
Keep bait looking as natural as possible.
If dink is caught leave on line for 5 seconds or so. The activity will attract the bigger gills, then send down a larger jig w/ 4 or 5 waxies.
Fish first and last light whenever possible.


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