Bluegill fishing is one of the best ways to spend your time out on the water. The are abundant and super easy to catch as long as you have the right gear! In this post we will be covering the best hooks for bluegill fishing so you can enjoy your time on the water!
Best Bluegill Hooks
- 1/64 oz Mule Fishing Mule Jig – Our Favorite
- Trout Magnet Jig Heads
- Panfish Magnet Jig Heads
- VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig 1/32 oz
- Aberdeen Hooks
What Size Hooks For Bluegill
The best size hooks for bluegill is anything between a #10 size hook to a #4 size hook. You can go bigger or smaller, but this range is the sweet spot for making sure the hook is small enough to catch the tiniest of bluegill or handle a big slab of a bluegill.
We recommend either a #8 size or a #6 size hook. This is usually the sweet spot. These hook sizes have more to do with the weight of the jig and less about the actual hook size because they are so close. A #8 size hook is usually on a 1/64 oz jig and a #6 is normally on a 1/32 oz jig.
These two jig sizes can take care of most of your bluegill fishing situations.
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Best Fishing Hooks for Bluegill
Fish hooks come in all shapes and sizes, but our favorite hooks for bluegill fishing are listed down below. There are some similarities and some even come in kits, but they all catch fish!
1/64 oz Mule Fishing Mule Jig – Our Favorite
1/64 oz. Mule Jig
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.It’s no secret that we are huge fans of Mule Fishing. Their lures and jigs are incredible which makes them perfect for bluegill. The 1/64 oz size is our favorite because of it’s light weight and hook size. The 1/64 oz mule jig comes with a #8 hook that makes it perfect for even the smallest of bluegill bites. These jigs work for all kinds of sunfish like shellcrackers, green sunfish, and even small bass.
If you are fishing in current we recommend you size up to the 1/32 oz mule jig so that it can sink better in moving water. Either option works well paired up with the Donkey Tail Jr., Horse Fly, or 1.2 and 2.2 Mule Minnow.
Trout Magnet Jigs – Kit
Trout Magnet Original 152 Piece Kit
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.The trout magnet is a classic jig that most freshwater anglers swear by for catching trout. The beauty of trout magnets is they just don’t work on trout! They are great for catching bluegill too.
Trout magnet jigs are 1/64 oz shad dart jig heads with a #8 size hook. The original trout magnet jigs come in gold plated or silver plated jigs and pair perfectly with trout magnet plastics. You can pick them up in small individual packs of jig heads or jig head packs with plastics, but the best bang for your buck is buying them in the original big kit.
It comes with a good amount of jig heads, wide range of colors, and a couple of trout magnet floats. A box of these and you’ll be catching slabs in no time!
Panfish Magnet Jigs – Kit
Panfish Magnet Kit
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.If you’re looking for something Bluegill specific, but want the original Trout Magnet shad dart jig, we recommend the Panfish Magnet Kit. It has the same size trout magnet jigs, but the plastics are slightly bigger and have a different color profile to target panfish.
We like the Panfish Magnet kit because it offers different colors than the traditional trout magnet kit that match colors of different bugs that can be found near bluegill. Our favorite is the bulldog color which is a black and red laminate that gets bit where ever it gets tossed.
VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig 1/32 oz
VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig 1/32 oz
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.Rounding out the list of jigs is the VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig. This is the larger of the list, but they are incredible when you need to get a little deeper. The 1/32 oz jig comes with #6 size hooks that are perfect for slab bluegill.
The 3D holographic eye makes it stand out in the water and helps predator fish like bluegill key in on the jig. Pair this with your favorite bluegill plastic and you’ll be catching fish left and right.
Best Hooks for Bluegill Worm Fishing
Any of the jigs mentioned above can be used for live bait or worm fishing for bluegill. If you are looking for hooks made for live bait and worm fishing we have that too!
Aberdeen Hooks
Mustad Classic Aberdeen Hook
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.Aberdeen hooks are a classic style of worm hook. You can find them anywhere in different sizes and colors. What we like about Aberdeen hooks is how easy it is to rig a worm. All it takes it cutting enough worm that sticks out just past the hook bend. With the worm moving on it’s own it will attract fish and get you those bites you are looking for.
Set this under a bobber and some split shot and you’ll be catching enough bluegill you can have a fish fry in no time. Load it up with worm if you want and get ready to watch your bobber drop!
How Hard Should You Set the Hook for Bluegill
When you set the hook on a bluegill you want to set it lightly. You’re not trying to drive a 7/0 hook into a big ol bass here. It’s a bluegill not an old Chevy truck, be gentle.
Most of the time with the hooks we have listed, the fish will kind of set the hook on itself and all you need to do is raise your rod tip up swiftly. Doing that will be more than enough to make sure you pin your hook in that bluegills mouth.
So remember, you want to lightly set the hook. You’re not trying to send this fish into the next county. Sometimes you just need to lean out or reel down really fast and it’s more than enough.
Best Hooks to Use for Bluegill
Our favorite is the 1/64 oz Mule Jig. It’s a great versatile jig that pin bluegill well and can be worked several different ways. The hooks and jigs in this post are all great and can fit several different styles of bluegill fishing. Grad your favorite rod and reel and get fishing!
What Other Species Can You Catch
- Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker)
- Warmouth
- Pumpkinseed
- Green Sunfish
- Crappie
- Rockbass
- Largemouth Bass
- Smallmouth Bass
- Flier Fish
- Catfish
- Trout
