Clear water with shoreline weeds and an abundance of submerged wood makes for a blue gill factory. Devils Kitchen Lake is well known for its magnificent scenery and lack of fishing pressure. As the water warms, anglers find this southern Illinois lake teaming with bluegills moving into the shallow coves at the south end.
By casting into the woody areas in about two or three feet of water fishermen find plenty of action. This member of the sunfish family is a sucker for crickets on a small wire hook. Later on we have to plumb the water as deep as 18 feet.
The number three most popular fish in Illinois is the bluegill. It is surpassed only by largemouth bass and channel catfish. In fact the bluegill is the official state fish.
Bluegills do best in lakes or ponds containing clear water with some submerged vegetation. This lake has all that in abundance.
They prefer lakes with simple fish populations. Lakes with shad and carp populations tend to have small bluegill populations. Devils Kitchen is basically a bass, shell cracker (redear sunfish), bluegill, crappie and trout lake. Each of these species tends to move into their own habitat during the year and do not conflict with one another.
The closest competition is between the shell crackers (redear sunfish) and bluegills. They can be found in the same water but will be relating differently to the structure. Bluegills relate to vertical structure and shell crackers to horizontal.
Early in the year, shell crackers will be feeding on the bottom of shallow coves. The bluegill will be slightly deeper and seeking food in the weeds or along vertical tree trunks. Later, they can both be found on the same submerged tree. Bluegills will relate to the vertical trunk and the shell cracker on the outstretched limbs. Continue reading here https://dongasaway.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/devils-kitchen-bluegills-2/