Welcome to Big Bluegill Don, I'm a fellow TN fisherman that loves to catch bluegill. You can learn a lot on this site and probably teach us a thing or two. You can get involved with discussions, blogs, photos or the chat room. What waters do you like to fish?

Cleveland, TN is close to Chickamauga Lake where the new state record Largemouth Bass was just caught. A 15 pounder breaking the record of 14.8 set in 1954. Do the Bluegill get big at Chickamauga Don?

Keith, the new state record was almost certainly a Florida-strain since TWRA has been stocking Florida largemouth in Chickamauga since 2001.  They don't stock coppernose (the bluegill equivalent of Florida largemouth) anywhere because bluegill aren't a priority to them.