Photo by Ron Sinfelt

By Ed Harp

Want a treat this winter for the dinner table? Well, if you're willing to brave the cold, follow a few safety precautions and do your homework, it shouldn't be a problem. Big, fat bluegills can be found in nearly any part of Iowa.

No matter where you live in the Hawkeye State there's a lake near you that offers trophy bluegill possibilities. Of course, those residents in the northern half of the state will have a longer season with safe ice but those anglers in the southern half of the state can harvest big 'gills as well. All you need is a little information, and you'll be good to go.

Iowa is full of small lakes both natural and artificial. They're everywhere. There are a few big ones, but most are small. Some are deep, but most are relatively shallow and weedy. Small, shallow, weedy - that's prime bluegill water.

This basic advantage for the fish is strengthened by the management practices of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. (Well, truth be told, some fish have benefited - others have been eaten.) The IDNR has been draining a number of their fisheries around the state. These drawdowns have dramatically improved the fishing.

Gary Sobotka, IDNR fisheries management biologist, can't say enough good things about the drawdowns. He points out that when the water is dropped it concentrates the fish in a smaller area. This has several immediate and direct effects on the fish. Among them is more efficient feeding by predators and a lowered competition for forage.

The reduced water volume allows predators to hunt and capture smaller fish more efficiently. With bluegills, this means that bass and catfish are able to eat more of them, primarily the little ones. This reduces the number of bluegills fighting for the available food.

Reduced water volume also has a secondary effect by reducing the shad population. It makes them more vulnerable to predators. This is helpful to the bluegills because shad compete directly with them for the same forage. In fact, shad are their principal competitors.

This means that the surviving bluegills are fewer in number, larger in size and better fed after the drawdown than they were before. Once the fishery is allowed to refill, they grow even bigger and faster.

This doesn't happen overnight, however. A true and dramatic increase in size takes some time. The best bluegill waters will grow their biggest fish anywhere from three to seven years after a drawdown.

So, as you read along, if you don't find a place you like listed in this article you can find your own. Check around with local residents, local anglers and the local IDNR biologist. Find a lake or large pond that has been renovated by the IDNR.

Make certain it was the subject of a drawdown, and then calculate the time needed for the bluegills to benefit - and you're in business. It's really not all that hard, and it'll improve your catch of big bluegills dramatically.

Some of the waters listed in this article have benefited from IDNR drawdowns; others are just natural producers. No matter the reason, they have been selected with the help of the IDNR as some of the best trophy bluegill waters in the state. Take advantage of them while they're hot. The best fishing is often cyclical and may not last long.

The reasons for this are unclear, but probably have something to do with light penetration. The angle of the sun is lower during those times, so there's less light stretching into the water, even under a thick layer of ice.

The better baits seem to be universal. Most Iowa bluegill anglers fish with small jigs, which are usually dressed with a skirt of some sort or a tube. Colors vary, but the most popular are chartreuse or orange, or a combination of the two.

Bluegill jigs are normally tipped with live bait. In most cases that will be a wax worm, but wigglers, earthworms, night crawlers and very small minnows are also popular. A number of anglers believe that small minnows are best when searching for really big bluegills. They believe that this will help sort the big ones from the small ones. Others disagree. This is one call you'll have to make yourself.

If you fish in waters that are dingy or unfamiliar, a portable depthfinder may be useful. There are several models made specifically for ice-fishing. Features and prices vary widely so check carefully before you buy.