Panfish on the Fly: Bluegill, Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Crappies & More
Published: 18th July 2025 | Author: Justin CarfagniniEver fished for panfish with a fly rod? If not, go look in the mirror and ask yourself where it all went wrong. Few things are more fun than tossing flies at bluegill, crappie, and sunfish during the warmer months. At Bob Mitchell’s Fly Shop, we had a saying: Sunfish, Fun Fish!
Bluegill are my favorite – They’re aggressive, unreasonably angry, and will smash flies bigger than their heads. I’ve always said, if they ever grew to 10 lbs, I’d never swim in a lake again. I’m no world renowned expert, but as a local legend, I can say that panfish are in just about every lake or pond you’ll find. Here’s a list of gear and flies that will get you on the path to fun.
Gear Recommendations
For a rod, I recommend a 1 to 5 weight rod, and if it’s a fiberglass rod you’ll have even more fun! Any floating fly line will do the trick and I like to use a 7.5ft 5x leader and tippet. Panfish typically aren’t leader shy so if you expect to encounter other bycatch species like bass, don’t be afraid to rope-up.
Best Flies
The best flies for catching panfish is a fly that is visible and buggy. Panfish have diverse diets that range from small baitfish to both aquatic and terrestrial insects. When panfishing, your hookup ratio will be largely dependent on the size of the fly. It’s not uncommon for bluegill, sunfish and pumpkinseeds to hit a larger topwater fly intended for bass, but actually hooking and landing a panfish on one isn’t guaranteed. When selecting a fly to fish for panfish, keep in mind that though their appetites are large, their mouths are relatively small.
Top Water Panfish Flies
The flies below are some of my go-to surface patterns when targeting panfish on the fly. Tie them or buy them, these bugs are sure to produce!
Big Eyed Panfish Bug Green
Subsurface Flies
The Bully Bluegill Spider is one of my all time favorite patterns for bluegill and sunfish. Other productive flies are Wilson’s Brim Reaper in Orange, and Green Weeny Chartreuse. You’ll certainly want some of these in your box when the warmer months come around!
How to Tie: CARF’s Bluegill Gurgler
Come summer, this is my go-to fly for catching panfish on the fly. Not only is my Bluegill Gurgler a ton of fun to fish, but it’s practically irresistible to the variety of panfish that live in my home waters. If you like to tie flies, this one is for you.
Hook – Stealth Nymph Special Non Reflective Black (size 8 or 10)
When tying panfish flies, it’s important to use a hook that is small enough to fit in a panfish’s mouth, but not so small that they easily swallow the fly. Much like a bass, panfish can practically inhale prey, making them susceptible to getting hooked in tough to reach locations. It’s up to you whether you fish a barbed or non barbed fly, but for ease of fly removal and overall safety, a barbless fly is recommended. The Stealth Nymph hook is a super versatile hook that can be used for both surface and subsurface flies. It’s long shank allows you to tie a variety of buggy patterns while its narrow hook gap allows panfish to take the fly. Give this hook a try and tie up my Bluegill Gurgler!
Body Wrap – Fluorescent Chartreuse Streamer Straggle (standard size)
Streamer straggle is a perfect material for wrapping the body of the Bluegill Gurgler. Its offered in a variety of great colors, but my favorite to use for the Bluegill Gurgler is fluorescent chartreuse. This material sheds water nicely for ease of casting, and has plenty of flash to attract fish from many feet away.
Bug Foam 2mm – Olive & Yellow
I like to use the green foam for the tail material and the yellow as a high visibility Gurgler body. If you’re feeling adventurous, play around with some of the other great colors Fulling Mill offers!
Flex-Floss
For a bit of extra movement, I like to tie in some legs on either side of the Gurgler body. Flex-Floss is the perfect material for additional wiggle in the this fly. Choose a color that looks good to you and run with it!
Never Know What You Might Catch While Panfishing
All of these flies will not only catch you bluegill and sunfish, but you will also find other fish willing to eat. Largemouth and smallmouth bass will not hesitate to gulp down one of these flies!
Panfish Poppers
Want to build out a panfish box? Here are some other topwater panfish flies Fulling Mill offers. These work great when bluegill, sunfish, pumpkinseeds and crappies are hitting on the surface.
Have Fun Out There
Panfishing on the fly is a ton of fun and can be a refreshing change of pace if you’re used to chasing other species. Whether you’re putting someone on their first fish on the fly, or you’re just looking to switch it up, consider checking out your local panfish spots. As we approach the dog days of summer, keep in mind your panfish opportunities and have fun out there.
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