07/24/2026
Steve Ryan hunts big 'gills all summer, and w**dflats are his top target in August.
"W**dflats draw bulls...but to skip over the schoolie fish, push off beyond the outer edge of the w**ds. 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 w**dedge in deep, clear oligotrophic lakes often ends abruptly in 14 to 24 feet of water. In mesotrophic lakes with stained water, w**ds cease growing at 8 to 18 feet. Light pe*******on limits how deep w**ds grow. All varieties of bluegill prey reside in vegetation."
"Drifting a w**dy 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 pondw**ds. 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 w**dedge 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
