When you spot a bluegill spawning bed, pull out the tiniest inline spinner that you can find, and run it right through the center of the bed. Big bull bluegills cannot resist it. I've caught 8 to 10 inch (bull) bluegill using this tactic.

Those spinners do seem to work when other lures fail.

My self I will throw a small pop eye or dry fly on a float about 1 to 3 foot deep tipped with a meal worm and catch the fire out of them by jigging it back to me. If you ever try this you will be tickled at how many fish you catch.

in the spring is when i am usually fishing for spawning crappie at reelfoot lake.  But when i do happen to hook a bluegill the fight is on! For as small... well cant say small, they are usually hand sized they put up a major fight.