Fishing for Bluegill

Making Your Own Flutter Fry

Fishing for bluegill or other panfish can be as
easy as falling off a log. Or it can be as technique
intensive as fly fishing. Just knowing those methods,
and the baits that work with them, can be the difference
between a handful of dinks or a stringer of hand sized ‘gills.

Anybody fishing for bluegill can catch big ones off of spawning beds in the spring. Just move any lure or bait---or sometimes a bare hook---through their gravel-dish beds and you’ll score.

But what happens after the spring flurry? That’s when it takes special techniques to catch the big bulls. And sometimes, it takes a “secret” lure as well.

One such lure is the flutter fry spoon, a homemade rig one encounters throughout the country. I first saw it being used on New York’s Bashkill Lake to pull bluegills out of fifteen feet of water. I’ve since run into it in numerous other states, wherever there are anglers fishing for bluegill.

In just about every locale, there are a few anglers turning out and using this panfish spoon. And, in each case, those same fishermen have one other thing in common: they’re the ones who consistently bring in heavy baskets of big ‘gills. The flutter fry is one of those open secrets that work when fishing for bluegill.

What makes the flutter fry so effective is that it imitates bluegill fry---one of the favorite meals of virtually every panfish that swims. This duplication extends to more than just looks. The lure acts, as well as appears, to be a ‘gill fry about half an inch long.

In addition to being effective when fishing for bluegill, the lure is inexpensive and quick to make. You can produce a couple of dozen of them in an evening at almost no cost. And, unless you snag one (a rare possibility due to its shape) or an unexpected bass breaks one off, they should last for years.

To make the flutter fry you’ll need size #10 ring eyed or jig hooks, some thin gauge sheet aluminum, and a couple of bottles of model airplane enamel. Best of all, the metal for the bodies is free, because you recycle aluminum beverage cans to get it.

Start by cutting the aluminum into a square, each side of which measures the length of the hook shank from eye to bend. You can use either regular or extra length hooks, at your pleasure. Fold the aluminum square over the hook shank, with the hook point upwards. Crimp the aluminum in place around the shank, making sure to extend it slightly into the bend, to assure that the finished body doesn’t twist on the hook.

Some anglers smear the inside with quick-setting epoxy, clamping the two halves until the glue sets. But I’ve never found that necessary if you crimp it tightly along the hook shank.

Trim the aluminum rectangle to the shape of a bluegill fry using tin snips or heavy duty scissors. Bevel the cut edge and file it smooth so you don’t get cut. The final shape you want is a half-oval, with the thickest section being roughly half the length or a bit more. None of these specifications are hard and fast.

Next paint a thin blue stripe at the top, no more than one quarter the depth of the lure. Then paint an eye. The simplest way to do this is to take two nails of different head sizes. Dip the larger nail into red or black enamel and touch it to the lure. When that’s dry, use the smaller tail to paint a yellow pupil inside it.

If you want, you can dress up the hook with feathers or hair. In theory, this gives the spoon better action. In reality, this looks better to us fishermen than it does to the fish. They don’t care one way or another, and bare hooks score as well as dressed up ones.

When fishing for bluegill, the flutter fry will take all types of panfish and an occasional bass as well. Bluegill (which, if you don’t know it, are cannibals and eat their own young), crappie, and white bass are especially susceptible to its seductive action. And seductive really is the word.

Unlike most lures and jigs, which drop straight down through the water, the flutter fry gently wobbles down---much in the manner of the bait it imitates. Shape, color, and movement all spell “lunch” to bluegill and other panfish waiting below.

When fishing for bluegill, you can work the flutter fry with either a flyrod or light weight spinning tackle. The leader, though, should be no more than two pound test line. Anything heavier can interfere with the action. Also required, even with a flyrod, is a very light bobber. I prefer porcupine quills painted fluorescent orange for greater visibility. Ice fishing bobbers or the smallest foam floats you can find also will work well.

Short casts are the order of the day when fishing for bluegill with a flutter fry, with 25-30 feet being the outside limit. Further than that and you lose control. Cast toward bluegill cover, using enough leader between bobber and flutter fry to carry the lure down to within inches of the cover. If the big bluegill are more than a few feet down you’ll want to use a sliding bobber, or casting will be awkward.

When you cast, the flutter fry will hit the water with a “splat” that often serves to get the fish’s attention. It then flutters down in a slow, sensual way. Sometimes the fish will take it on the drop, so stay alert. More often, they’ll eyeball it as it hangs at the end of the line. Then, after a minute or two, they’ll sidle up to it and, with a slight flaring of the gills, suck it in.

The take is almost imperceptible. Strict concentration is required, and, at the slightest movement of the float, set the hook by gently lifting the rod tip about a foot. Gently is the operative word. If there is no hit, and you only lift the spoon a few inches, it’s fluttering movement back down often is enough to spark a real hit.

That’s also the key to working the spoon back. Let it hang at the end of the leader for a minute or two. If there is no action, move the bobber upwards and towards you a foot or so. Let the spoon settle again, and repeat the process. Taking ten minutes to work the lure back is none too long a time.

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