What is keeper size? - Bluegill - Big Bluegill2024-03-28T20:43:25Zhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/forum/topics/what-is-keeper-size?feed=yes&xn_auth=noDown here in the Florida Panh…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-07-15:2036984:Comment:5338392014-07-15T14:49:16.544ZJ. B. Hillardhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/JBHillard738
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167451153?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167451153?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></a> Down here in the Florida Panhandle bluegills and others of the bream (sunfish) family are highly sought after for sport as well as eating. "Keeper" size is in the eyes of the beholder. Some like little bream for frying crisp and they eat bone and all. Others keep only the big ones for filleting. A decent keep size is 6 to 7 inches for eating. The only time I might filet is…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167451153?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="721" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2167451153?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a>Down here in the Florida Panhandle bluegills and others of the bream (sunfish) family are highly sought after for sport as well as eating. "Keeper" size is in the eyes of the beholder. Some like little bream for frying crisp and they eat bone and all. Others keep only the big ones for filleting. A decent keep size is 6 to 7 inches for eating. The only time I might filet is when they are too big and thick to fry thoroughly through and through. Here is a box of 43 caught yesterday in the Choctawhatchee River in Walton County, FL and they will all go in the frying pan.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Great answers here from Walt…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-26:2036984:Comment:5292772014-06-26T03:34:05.044ZJim Gronawhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/JimGronaw
<p>Great answers here from Walt and Tony. And like they say, every body of water is different.</p>
<p>I seldom keep large numbers of bluegills, and when I do it is from 10 to 20, depending on the plans for an upcoming meal. As a general rule it is wise to release...1) the majority of larger males in any system, 2) almost all bluegills exceeding 10 inches, unless you are keeping one as a trophy and 3) the top-end fish within 1.5 to 2 inches. IOW's, if the largest bluegills in the system are 9 to…</p>
<p>Great answers here from Walt and Tony. And like they say, every body of water is different.</p>
<p>I seldom keep large numbers of bluegills, and when I do it is from 10 to 20, depending on the plans for an upcoming meal. As a general rule it is wise to release...1) the majority of larger males in any system, 2) almost all bluegills exceeding 10 inches, unless you are keeping one as a trophy and 3) the top-end fish within 1.5 to 2 inches. IOW's, if the largest bluegills in the system are 9 to 10 inch fish, they are the ones that will sustain the quality size structure and are the ones to release. Keep the 7.5 to almost 9 inchers for harvest and fish frys.</p>
<p>Additionally, the smaller body of water, the more vulnerable it is to overharvest and top-end size depletion due to the removal of the bigger fish. Like Walt, I have seen premier bluegill waters, in excess of 2000 acres, decimated by armies of anglers who absolutely refused to embrace a catch and release ethic on the larger adult fish, then complain loudly about the fishing going downhill.</p>
<p>Few states and local fishery management departments protect panfish species and many have unlimited angler harvest regulations. Couple this with the erroneous and antiquated belief that panfish populations cannot be damaged by angling pressure and fish removal and it is a wonder at all that we have some of the outstanding bluegill fisheries that we do in North America.</p>
<p>Just use common sense and everyone can have some great fishing for big gills.</p> I agree,Tony. If given the ch…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-20:2036984:Comment:5276552014-06-20T04:28:44.066ZJim Gronawhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/JimGronaw
<p>I agree,Tony. If given the choice, I will always choose a shot at a trophy -sized fish rather than a bunch of 'good' fish, of any species. A trophy is a rare, and well remembered, catch. I can't recall too much special about any 8, 9 or even 10 inch gills and other sunfish species. But I can easily recount and reflect on those precious few that have exceeded 11 inches and beyond...just great memories.</p>
<p>But when I want food, those 8 inch fish are just perfect!</p>
<p>I agree,Tony. If given the choice, I will always choose a shot at a trophy -sized fish rather than a bunch of 'good' fish, of any species. A trophy is a rare, and well remembered, catch. I can't recall too much special about any 8, 9 or even 10 inch gills and other sunfish species. But I can easily recount and reflect on those precious few that have exceeded 11 inches and beyond...just great memories.</p>
<p>But when I want food, those 8 inch fish are just perfect!</p> Not sure we would get that ma…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-17:2036984:Comment:5264782014-06-17T06:04:39.170ZNathanael Deloachhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/NathanaelDeloach
<p>Not sure we would get that many folks up here to sit on a bucket for hrs in potential sub zero temps, course we could get lucky and have a 20 degree day. It would be fun to watch tho!</p>
<p>Not sure we would get that many folks up here to sit on a bucket for hrs in potential sub zero temps, course we could get lucky and have a 20 degree day. It would be fun to watch tho!</p> Oh man...that is for sure! I…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-17:2036984:Comment:5264702014-06-17T03:36:00.001ZMike Schmidthttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/MikeSchmidt
<p>Oh man...that is for sure! Ice fishing is a great experience. We should get a BBG Rendezvous up here in January and get some of these southern boys on the hard water! :-)</p>
<p>Oh man...that is for sure! Ice fishing is a great experience. We should get a BBG Rendezvous up here in January and get some of these southern boys on the hard water! :-)</p> Nathanael, you are so right a…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-17:2036984:Comment:5265812014-06-17T03:28:12.054ZMike Schmidthttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/MikeSchmidt
<p>Nathanael, you are so right about needing to put in some road work! Work and this wet spring has put a damper on that, but I will keep at it. Thanks for all the advice.</p>
<p></p>
<p>And you are also right about this being a great thread. A LOT of great replies in here! </p>
<p>Nathanael, you are so right about needing to put in some road work! Work and this wet spring has put a damper on that, but I will keep at it. Thanks for all the advice.</p>
<p></p>
<p>And you are also right about this being a great thread. A LOT of great replies in here! </p> Good points Tony, I know th…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-16:2036984:Comment:5262052014-06-16T17:03:40.155ZNathanael Deloachhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/NathanaelDeloach
<p> Good points Tony, I know there are many different aspects as to why some lakes do better then others, you went into good detail with some of those reasons. This has been a great thread, thanks for sharing the knowledge...:) </p>
<p> Good points Tony, I know there are many different aspects as to why some lakes do better then others, you went into good detail with some of those reasons. This has been a great thread, thanks for sharing the knowledge...:) </p> I agree about the water tes…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-16:2036984:Comment:5264032014-06-16T16:54:58.065ZNathanael Deloachhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/NathanaelDeloach
<p> I agree about the water test if you are indeed concerned it may not be safe. For me, if the fish population (and frog population) is healthy then I don't really worry about it. If the water was polluted you would get warnings from the habitat. With that said, our area in Mn has a hand full of lakes with high mercury levels which would limit the frequency you could eat a species (no more than one meal a week or no more than one meal a month ect.). This is just an example of something that…</p>
<p> I agree about the water test if you are indeed concerned it may not be safe. For me, if the fish population (and frog population) is healthy then I don't really worry about it. If the water was polluted you would get warnings from the habitat. With that said, our area in Mn has a hand full of lakes with high mercury levels which would limit the frequency you could eat a species (no more than one meal a week or no more than one meal a month ect.). This is just an example of something that could affect what or how frequent you may eat the fish but would not have an obvious "canary" warning you from the habitat that something is wrong. Blue gills don't typically have high mercury levels in these lakes though, since they are "lower" in the food chain. Walleyes, Bass, and Northern Pike would be the species most likely have the higher concentrations of mercury. For peace of mind it wouldn't hurt to get the water tested, especially if you plan to eat a lot of fish out of there....</p> You wanna see northern redn…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-16:2036984:Comment:5264942014-06-16T16:41:34.050ZNathanael Deloachhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/NathanaelDeloach
<p> You wanna see northern rednecks? Go Ice fishing, A lot of those folks are "in that state of mind", it's great....lol</p>
<p></p>
<p> You wanna see northern rednecks? Go Ice fishing, A lot of those folks are "in that state of mind", it's great....lol</p>
<p></p> I try not to get hung up on a…tag:bigbluegill.ning.com,2014-06-16:2036984:Comment:5263842014-06-16T13:38:16.556ZTony Livingstonhttp://bigbluegill.ning.com/profile/TonyLivingston
<p>I try not to get hung up on any one aspect needed to produce big gills. Length of the growing season is important, but it is not the "key" that unlocks the door behind which giant gills wait.....if it were, we should see 2-3 lb bluegills regularly from down south, which of course we don't. It's one piece of the puzzle, nothing more.</p>
<p>Case in point: It's true that the south has a longer growing season, but it's also true that the water is generally not as fertile as it is further…</p>
<p>I try not to get hung up on any one aspect needed to produce big gills. Length of the growing season is important, but it is not the "key" that unlocks the door behind which giant gills wait.....if it were, we should see 2-3 lb bluegills regularly from down south, which of course we don't. It's one piece of the puzzle, nothing more.</p>
<p>Case in point: It's true that the south has a longer growing season, but it's also true that the water is generally not as fertile as it is further north. It's common to fertilize your pond down south, to try and establish a phytoplankton bloom....that greenish look that fertile water sometimes gets. Up here, I spend time trying to knock that bloom back... fertilizing to try and encourage it would be crazy in my location. And fertile water forms the basis for the food chain. Phytoplankton feeds zooplankton, and zooplankton feeds smaller fish, and larger fish consume smaller fish. An extra long growing season means little if the food chain is not there to support growth.</p>
<p>The second part of the equation deals with lifespan. Southern bluegills don't generally live as long as northern bluegills. Longer life equals more time eating, which translates into further growth. As is often the case, nature incorporates a system of checks and balances into her plans.</p>
<p>Longer growing season = shorter lifespans, probability of less fertile water resulting in less food.</p>
<p>Shorter growing season = longer lifespans, probability of more fertile water resulting in more food.</p>