Fishing For Pumpkinseed

A beginners guide to catching pumpkinseed

By Rick Seaman

Nov 14, 2024

Tips For Pumpkinseed Fishing

Beginners

Pumpkinseed fishing for beginners and novice anglers. Includes tips which can be used while fishing from a boat, or while fishing from the bank.

Basic Pumpkinseed Tackle For Beginners

Rod. Start with a medium length, light action rod, although most any rod will do.

Reel. Push-button reels and spinning reels are easy for the vast majority of pumpkinseed fishing conditions.

Line. Begin with 4# to 8# monofilament line.

Method. Cast to likely areas using a bobber to set the depth of the bait. Occasionally move the bobber a short distance and let it set.

Pumpkinseed fishing basics video.

Basic Baits For Beginners

Worms. Small hooks (size 8 to 12), baited with earthworm or waxworm pieces is a simple way to start. Sharp hooks are always important, check them often.

3 Important Tips For Beginners

Tip 1. Pumpkinseed prefer to hang around brushy or rocky cover. Look for areas that provide shade and cover.

Tip 2. Once you catch a pumpkinseed, it is highly likely there are more in that area. Fishing from shore, a dock, or from a boat are popular ways to join in the fun of fishing for pumpkinseed.

Tip 3. Use good knots and re-tie anytime the knot or line has been nicked or frayed. Always use sharp hooks, if they are dull replace or sharpen them

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Intermediate Anglers

Pumpkinseed Tackle For Intermediate Anglers

Rods. For longer casts, choose a 5' or longer, light action rod, preferably with a fast-action tip. Shimano, Bass Pro Shops, G. Loomis, Fenwick, Lew's and Abu Garcia, among others, all make a variety of quality rods in varying price ranges.

Reels. Possibly upgrade to a higher quality spinning reel. Shimano, Abu Garcia, Lew's Mach, Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Series and Daiwa are all good choices, and there are many others. Accurate casts are crucial to success.

Line. Line choices include monofilament or fluorocarbon in 4# to 8# line is a good choice. Often, 4# line will produce more bites from the larger fish in the school.

Basic Baits For Intermediate Anglers

In addition to earthworms, learning to use the following baits can improve your chances for success.

Live Bait. Minnows, crickets, grass hoppers and other small critters rigged on a small hook, can all catch pumpkinseed.

Techniques. Try casting and retrieving, without a bobber, and slowly reel the bait back to you. From a boat, use the electric trolling motor to slow-troll the bait or jig, varying the speed until you identify the best speed. Start at about 1 mile per hour and experiment with faster or slower rates.

5 Important Tips For Intermediate Anglers

Know The Fish. Study the life cycle of pumpkinseed, their annual migrations, daily movements, and food sources available in the lake you plan to fish. Our focus here is to assist beginner and intermediate anglers. For those wishing to take the next step, there are a multitude of options for growing your knowledge of fishing for pumpkinseed.

Remote Areas. Find secluded areas that get little fishing pressure. Sections of the lake with no shoreline access are a good place to look. Pumpkinseed in this area often grow to larger sizes.

Focus On Finding The Fish. Pumpkinseed move up and down in the water column in search of the best available water temperatures, availability of food, and a variety of other factors. Begin the day fishing shallow, medium and deep water in search of the best depth for the day. Once you locate fish, concentrate on that depth and similar locations.

Keep Bait Selection Simple. Pumpkinseed are not as picky as we tend to think. Stick to basic colors as long as they are biting, then experiment with brighter color options. Depending on water clarity contrast may be an issue dictating dark or flashy colors.

Use Multiple Baits. Once you locate an area holding bluegill, also try a variety of prepared baits or live bait, to see which entices more bites. For each bait vary the speed and action of the retrieve to determine the best approach for getting bites

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Time On The Water. Experience is the best teacher. Spend time locating the fish and experimenting with a wide variety of lures and techniques.

Have Fun. Fishing for pumpkinseed can be very rewarding. Be diligent, but enjoy the process. Fishing is a life-long journey, and you can learn something new every day you spend on the lake!

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World record: 1.4 pounds

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Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired bass tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".

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