Nope! I catch bluegill with just fishing line and a hook, no pole or anything. They love mealworms, waxworms, hornworms and crickets which you can get at a petstore. I have also used salmon eggs used for trout fishing.
Anyway you just lay on a bank where bluegill frequent, and toss the hook with the food in. Once they swallow it, a quick jerk on the line almost always works to set the hook.