Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

I have been fishing for a lot of years and have caught my share of fish and probably a lot of somebody elses. I've been fishing since I was a small boy following my dad around the rivers and lakes of Alabama. My Dad was my hero and best friend. He fished because he loved it and for the table fare he recieved from his efforts.As a kid we "me and my other three siblings" ate just about any freshwater or salt water fishes dad would catch. In the 60s' any type was good eats. Dad never fillet fish just scape gut and cut the heads off. We had to learn to eat around the bones. We would leave on sunday night after church and him and his fishing buddy, me tagging alone and arrive at Weiss Lake at the dead end bridge to hang a lantern just in time for the clock to pass12:01 AM ready to fish. Kinda overlooked now days but the both of them would not fish on the Sabath Day. Anyway to make a long story longer,I am curious as to the kind of fish you folks favor. As you know I am a Sunfish conisuer, butI have eaten anything from Stripe Bass to Rainbow Trout from the Boise River in Idaho. Like the Sunfishes the best, but can you taste the difference in a Redbreast, Bluegill, Redear, or any other type. I know a lot of us Crappie fish but does it really have the taste of a nice Redbreast. I have always thought that crappie taste exactly like the badder you fry them in, Im soory but I like them but enjoy bream best. I'm curious, I believe for me the Redear is my favorite.....Let me hear from you

'

"

 

 

Views: 2990

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Redear is great, and so is crappie. Probably my two favorites this far!

With large families and so much water around us growing up in Louisiana, both saltwater and freshwater fish were a staple on our tables.......we fished about everything in the Gulf and all kinds of freshwater fish.......My personal favorite derived from the rice fields in Southern Louisiana when we would catch hundreds of Goggle-Eyed Perch more commonly known as Warmouth.....Ounce for Ounce they are thicker than other sunfish and this makes them a little easier to clean as well......I don't catch as many Warmouth as I did growing up in Louisiana so I find myself segregating them now for a special fish fry.....I was ready to say Channel Cat for # 2 but my discovery of Yellow Perch in the Carolinas have jumped the "Racoon Perch" up to second....a great cotton white filet.......That pushes small pound class Channel Catfish to third, normally preferred whole fried but filet is mouth watering too......I lump Bluegill/Chinquapin into number four and it's hard to not get excited about a big platter of crispy gills........Five would be Largemouth bass under 12 inches but I can't keep those here in this region of North Carolina so here I put 8-10 inch Crappie as # 5.....the smaller ones taste better than the slabs in my opinion.....Yellow corn meal and peanut oil!

       

        Jeffrey  ditto on the goggle-eye (warmouth)  1st ------> to me meat taste slitely oily  than what a bluegill has which adds flavor to the taste ----- But in no way is it oily,  just the taste to me.           2nd------->  sac-a-lait (crappie)             3rd--------> bluegill family         4th-------> boiled crawfish  (which also could be first --- probably not considered a fish but spelled  CRAWfish / CRAYfish)                5th--------> boiled crabs      6th-----> catfish           

           Can  you  tell  I'm  from  Louisiana ? 

I hear you on the crawdads and the boiled crabs.....how about some soft shell crabs or some raw/fried oysters...hell why not seafood gumbo or jambalaya! I'll quit now....just a day in the life on the bayou....

 

 Totally agree on warmouth.....a real delicacy in my opinion....I still, to this day, try to serve them fresh and if not, I segregate/label so I can have a Goggle-Eyed Perch Meal.....They clean easier than other sunfish as well but that doesn't fall in the "taste" catergory.....

    softshell crabs  /  raw oysters  ------>  you're making me hungry.

     Had boiled crawfish  3Xs  already this year (going for $3.75 lb. boiled now) 

 

   

My favorties are rolled in corn meal and fried. If its a pan fish its good enough that way.

i like mine with hush puppies; cole slaw; french fries; as for the fish;; oh yea;; just get them in front of me; fixed any way you can!  i;ll make them dissapear!!!!!

yeah, I love it all. Crawfish, raw or fried oysters and about any kind of panfish...I'm retired and I think it's time for a Florida, Apalacheecola bay oyster run next weekend.......

RSS

Latest Activity

Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

This One Got the Kinks Out….5/18/2025

Beautiful flexed out Shellcracker…..
5 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
5 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
5 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
5 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
5 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"Had a decent morning on the water despite the turbulent weather this week….many areas stained but found a productive creek….39 fish mixed"
6 hours ago
John Sheehan posted a photo
Friday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

An Athletic leaper

"Vacuumed sealed for now ,Jeff. Those Colorado spinners are very effective for Trout and Pan Fish…"
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Nice Male Coppernose……5/13/2025

"Thanks wag…..growing up in southeast Louisiana I can remember the spring rains and our…"
Wednesday
wag commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Nice Male Coppernose……5/13/2025

"Yeap it's beginning in Louisiana but with high muddy water everywhere with all the heavy rain.…"
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"Between wind and the big slow moving storm, no fishing this week…full moon was Monday so things should take off soon.."
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

An Athletic leaper

"Nice rainbow on the Colorado spinner…..on the grill or the smoker?🤓"
Wednesday
John Sheehan posted photos
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Under Carolina Blue Skies….5/11/2025

Swimming the Popeye jig tipped with a pinhead….
May 11
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
May 11
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

More Quality Gills on a Tough Environment Day on the Estuary…..5/11/2025

"Thanks Bruce….you gotta love it when the hens are quality like this…."
May 11
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
May 11
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

IMG_3807

"What a brute!"
May 11
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
May 10

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service