Bream Bonanza: Fly Fishing for Sunfish Spawns Exciting Spring Action

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As waters warm in the spring, various sunfish species like bluegill and redear sunfish (also called shellcrackers) begin their spawning rituals, providing excellent opportunities for fly anglers to target these feisty fish. Bluegill and redear sunfish spawn when water temperatures reach around 75-80 degrees, with redear sunfish typically starting a bit earlier in March and April. Anglers can locate their bedding areas by looking for dark depressions in shallow, weedy waters and can often smell the distinct watermelon-like scent given off by the spawning fish. Using ultralight fly tackle and topwater bugs that mimic insects, fly fishermen can enjoy exciting surface strikes and hard-fighting bream.

Why it matters

Bream like bluegill and redear sunfish are popular targets for recreational anglers across the Southeast, providing excellent table fare and thrilling fights on light tackle. The spring spawning season offers one of the best times of year to target these species, as they become highly aggressive in defending their nests and will readily strike at surface lures and flies. Understanding the spawning behavior and habitat preferences of bream can help anglers locate and effectively fish for them during this prime season.

The details

Redear sunfish, also called shellcrackers, typically start spawning when water temperatures reach around 75 degrees, usually in March and April. Bluegill then begin their spawning period in late April or May, with females capable of spawning multiple times through the summer and early fall. Bream create dish-shaped depressions in shallow, weedy areas with sandy or gravel bottoms to serve as their nesting beds. Anglers can often locate these beds by sight or by detecting the distinct watermelon-like scent given off by the spawning fish. Fly anglers can target these bedding areas using small topwater bugs and poppers that imitate insects, taking advantage of the bream's aggressive defense of their nests.

• Redear sunfish typically begin spawning in March and April when water temperatures reach around 75 degrees.
• Bluegill start spawning in late April or May when water temps reach 75-80 degrees, and can spawn multiple times through the summer and early fall.

What they’re saying

What’s next

As the spring spawning season progresses, anglers should monitor water temperatures and look for signs of active bedding areas to target bream with topwater flies and lures. Successful anglers will need to experiment with different bug and popper patterns to match the prevalent hatch or forage in a given area.