07/24/2026
Steve Ryan hunts big 'gills all summer, and weedflats are his top target in August.
"Weedflats draw bulls...but to skip over the schoolie fish, push off beyond the outer edge of the weeds. Big bluegills patrol the no man's land beyond the edge, where protective cover ends and the abyss begins. That's where I start hunting."
"The outside weededge in deep, clear oligotrophic lakes often ends abruptly in 14 to 24 feet of water. In mesotrophic lakes with stained water, weeds cease growing at 8 to 18 feet. Light pe*******on limits how deep weeds grow. All varieties of bluegill prey reside in vegetation."
"Drifting a weedy bay with a piece of worm suspended over the top of submerged vegetation just feels right," Ryan added. "It's a near guarantee for catching 'gills of assorted sizes. But to consistently catch bulls, think like they do. Their prey is concentrated in the thickest cover, under a canopy of broad leaves provided by cabbage, coontail, and pondweeds. Outside the edge, bulls take aim at anything naive enough to expose itself."
Ryan uses two primary tactics: Pitching and slipbobbering.
He pitches a medium leech on a large Custom Jigs & Spins Poppee Jig and a slipbobber and minnow rig for a slower, more stationary approach.
"I pitch the Poppee Jig and use 1/80- to 1/32-ounce jigs under floats," he said. "The Poppee Jig has a slow sink rate on 4-pound mono and leeches are superstars in warm water. Fish it semi-slack and watch for any jumps in the line. Cast the entire apron area leading to the weededge and work the bait slowly back to the boat after it settles to the bottom. The Poppee's thin diameter hook allows for easy hook pe*******on, even in deep water."
The pastiche of summer patterns goes on and on for panfish. Especially in summer, when their world expands into a big, open market of forage types and habitats ranging from 1 to 60 feet deep. Hunt long enough and you'll find them in places you won't expect, doing things you never dreamed of. A unique pattern is like dark energy. You won't know it's there until you discover how to look for it.
Matt Straw, In-Fisherman