But bluegills belong to that unscientifically defined ... cricket’s back and the light hook helps ensure the bait doesn’t fly off during the cast. Once rigged, however, you can fish a cricket under a ...

A spring bobber can detect light bites from finicky winter bluegills. / Joe Shead If you wait to feel the classic “thump” of a fish hitting your jig, you’ll miss a lot of subtle bluegill bites.

where she’s caught bluegill, catfish and bass. “I like being outdoors, and it’s calming,” she said of her visits to the pond. Fly fishing with Trout Unlimited was a new challenge she was ...