Dumb question here.... When do bluegill & red ear start to spawn around central KY??

[Lady Hunter]

My fishing's gonna be very limited this year due to major surgery scheduled the 2nd week of May that will keep me off the boat for at least a couple of months. Hoping I can stock up on pan fish (my favorites!!!!) before then!

 

[drakeshooter]

They prefer water temps in the 70s to spawn. In my experience it’s really starting to crank hard about the time turkey season ends. Some years we’d hunt the very back of Blood River bay in the waning days of season til 8-9 am by boat and then bluegill fish rest of day.

 

[Meatstick]

My fishing's gonna be very limited this year due to major surgery scheduled the 2nd week of May that will keep me off the boat for at least a couple of months. Hoping I can stock up on pan fish (my favorites!!!!) before then!

That's bad timing.
I'd focus on crappie in your timeframe. They're really starting to turn on.
Now if we get some hot days in April, you'll find bluegill spawning, but the last several Aprils have been pretty chilly overall

 

[Nock]

I caught my first ones on bed last year on May 7th. What I’ve noticed is once they start there will always be fish on them up into July.

 

[drakeshooter]

Off topic kinda but I’m a big fan of explorekentuckylake.com, so here’s my shameless plug. Shawn really runs a first class site with water temps, conditions, fishing reports and fishing articles like this one.

Fishing 101: Panfish

Bluegill and red ears are a common target for anglers in the spring months. Offering some of the most tasty filets of freshwater fish, bluegill and redear are a treat to catch at Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

www.explorekentuckylake.com

 

[Nock]

Off topic kinda but I’m a big fan of explorekentuckylake.com, so here’s my shameless plug. Shawn really runs a first class site with water temps, conditions, fishing reports and fishing articles like this one.

Fishing 101: Panfish

Bluegill and red ears are a common target for anglers in the spring months. Offering some of the most tasty filets of freshwater fish, bluegill and redear are a treat to catch at Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

www.explorekentuckylake.com

I’m usually on that couple times a week.

 

[ribsplitter]

We generally try to catch them staged up before spawn. We have been drop shooting some in 22' already stacked up ready to move shallow when it warms up.

 

[Lady Hunter]

We generally try to catch them staged up before spawn. We have been drop shooting some in 22' already stacked up ready to move shallow when it warms up.

Maybe there's hope for me to get a few in the freezer before I'm grounded!

 

[ribsplitter]

Maybe there's hope for me to get a few in the freezer before I'm grounded!

I certainly hope so, all of the bigs we have found were still deep. Crappie have been moving in and out of the spawning areas with the weather, as usual.

 

[luvtohunt]

Like Meat said, I’d focus on crappie with the time frame you have before. They are starting to do their thing. These weather shifts are keeping them moving though so don’t be afraid to check channel banks still especially when it’s been cold for a few days. Bluegill can always be caught, just may have to spend a little more time weeding than if you were bed fishing. If none of that works for ya, get out in the summer at night and run some jugs or lines for cats. Just takes a couple big flatheads to make a ton of freezer meat. Remember they prefer live bait 10 to 1.

 

[Brody]

Bluegills generally spawn first full moon in May

 

[Rod S.]

Bluegills generally spawn first full moon in May

Yep May moon is best & I would also try the full moon in June.

 

[Redlined]

What Drake said. In my experience, just about the time you put your turkey gun in the cabinet it's time to go catch bluegill.

 

[thunderstorm]

May 5th is the full moon this year so that first week should be good.

 

[drakeshooter]

Full moon but not necessarily May, that’s just the usual month because that’s when water temps are usually favorable. A warmer than average March/April can shift it to the April full moon especially if it falls in the second half of the month and likewise an abnormally cool spring can shift it into June. Plus like Nock said, once they’re on the beds they’re there awhile.