Catching sunfish and fishing for sunfish are two entirely different things. Most anglers catch sunfish. Often the bycatch when fishing for larger species like bass, these round relatives of the more popular sportfish strike voraciously at flies that don’t even come close to fitting in their mouths. But perhaps in a similar manner that the lowly carp has received a surge of popularity in the fly fishing community over the past decade, panfish will finally receive broader recognition for their value as a targeted species.

Often referred to by to some general name according to one’s region, bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, redbreast sunfish, rock bass and other species of sunfish can put up quite the fight. Moreover, larger specimens aren’t pushovers. Particularly in the southeast, there is a devoted and fanatical angling community that specifically seeks these bruisers. Once these fish get to a foot in length, you can throw all of your cane pole, corn kernel misconceptions out the window.

Once again, catching sunfish and fishing for sunfish are not the same thing. And you will very likely not catch a trophy sunfish unless you are fishing for them.

Late Spring (post-spawn) and summer sunfish fishing can be incredibly dynamic. Although there are plenty of four and five-inch exceptions to the rule, most panfish will stay around cover. Rocks, stumps, and weeds are very likely places that you’ll find them. Expansive weed beds and larger submerged trees are ideal spots for larger sunfish. True, these are the main locations that bass are targeted. The bass are there for the exact same reason you are: sunfish are the objective. Although they have similar behaviors, are both predatory, and are even related; they are very different. Thus, the warmwater fly angler has to adapt in order to chase trophy sunfish.

One method that seems to be productive for bigger sunfish is to simply inverse the location that you’d fish for largemouth or smallmouth. For example, one might fish in the channel next to a weedbed or just long the side of it in a river for bass. Since even large sunfish are still low on the food chain, they will be seeking that safety. Fishing over the edge of the weedbed or slightly inside of it will probably be more productive when targeting sunfish.

Another great method for locating large sunfish is to scout the shorelines and shallows in the spring. Fishing over spawning beds may or may not violate your fishing ethics, but walking or paddling around to see where larger fish may be a few weeks late shouldn’t bother you. Even after the spawn, the broad-shouldered males may stick around the bed they had been defending for some time.

Although these fish have the reputation for eating anything and everything, the older fish will be a little less reckless. And even though they seem to happily try to strike bigger bass flies, most sunfish eat smaller foods. Leeches, snails, and terrestrials in sizes #8-#14 will yield more and larger fish than #2 deer-hair poppers or long, articulated streamers. There is a reason why some of the most popular lures that conventional anglers use are small marabou jigs. The proliferation of jig style flies is perfect for fly anglers looking for sunfish. Shorter-tailed wooly buggers with the weight (1/124 – 1/64-oz) and upright-riding hooks of these flies should be in every angler’s box.

The larger and more seasoned sunfish can also be a little more skeptical, as a slower retrieve usually is necessary to entice them to bite. Regardless of if it is on the surface or on the bottom, sunfish will likely be quite inquisitive. Chances are you’ve seen a pack of bluegill inspecting your fly, putting you in a standoff to see who strips in or bites first. In instances when the fish are not easily convinced, a small nymph (sizes #14-#18) rigged as a dropper will probably be too hard for them to resist. Small damselflies, San Juan worms, and brassies will produce in this rig. And don’t overlook traditional soft hackles in this application, either.

You might find someone that believes that sunfish are leader shy. While this may be true, it isn’t a factor in most situations a fly fisher will find themselves in. If anything, a smaller leader may be more important in turning over a small fly. 3X or 4X will be fine in nearly all circumstances, with 5X being reserved for those dropper rigs or smaller dries.

A sunfish rod should be anything that you can cast well. In a river, rock bass will put a bend in an 8-weight. But that much rod is unneeded, and would be overkill on a farm pond or small creek. Similarly, the challenge of a 2 or 3-weight may be fun, but a wet leech pattern could be tough to cast at that point. Even though it is very much a matter of opinion, a perfect all-around sunfish rod would probably be an 8’6” to 9’, 4 or 5-weight with a softer tip. So basically, a traditional small to mid-sized trout rod will do nicely.

Catching sunfish can and should still be the kind of outing that first exposes people to the thrill of hooking into a fish on the fly. So many accomplished trout anglers can trace their fishing heritage to casting for sunnies on a pond. While all that is still the case, it doesn’t mean that has to be the totality of the experience. Challenges, and not just fish, are often what fly fishers enjoy pursuing. In many places, a pound-plus pumpkinseed is scarcer than a 20” brown trout.

These are wary, hard-fighting, and beautiful fish. If you’re looking for trophy bluegills, pumpkinseeds, or other sunfish, they will require the kind of attention and respect paid to the more glamorous gamefish. Specific flies, tackle, and serious consideration will be needed to find, hook, and land these universal icons of what “fishing” is to so many anglers.

This article originally appeared in the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide.