All Blog Posts (1,101)

January......Liked the dark shades in an otherwise light colored fish......

February....My mother was born in February and we shared the water on two nice trips in 2013 and she put it on us this day.......Great Fish Donice!…

Floating Damselfly Nymph

by Gary LaFontaine

•    HOOK: 8-12; TMC 5262—2X long nymph hook

•    FLOTATION: an underbody of high-density foam, wrapped along the hook shank as a thin strip

•    TAIL: olive marabou and clear Antron fibers (combed together)

•    ABDOMEN: olive fur and olive Antron dubbing (chopped, blended, and dubbed)

•    THORAX: olive…

One day when drift fishing I noticed a fish being put back in the water with a hook still in the fish. The fish died, and a Bald Eagle picked it up.

I decided then and there to make a better version of the stick broke off the tree fish hook remover my partner used for years and never broke a line or left a hook in a fish.

Check this out. I am not trying to sell you anything. If you want one a 1/4 in stick off any tree works fine. This one is a little better and I put a line…

EASY TO MAKE AND IS ALWAYS A BIG HIT.

FISH CHOWDER

1 ONION SAUTEED IN BUTTER

1 STICK OF BUTTER

2 CANS CREAM OF POTATO SOUP

2 CANS CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

2 ½ CUPS OF MILK

¼ TEASPOON RED PEPPER

¼ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER

8 OZ PHILADELPHIA CREAM CHEESE

3 CUPS BONED AND BOILED FISH, NO LIQUID. BLUEGILL, NORTHERN PIKE, ?????

MIX ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER AND SIMMER TO LOW BOIL.

WHEN FIRST BUBBLES APPEAR CHOWDER IS DONE.

OPTIONAL…

Ive been doing an inventory of the flies I've got on hand, both my own and those from others. I have reached a momentous decision:

I will stop tying new flies for myself.

Okay, thats not gonna happen, But it should.

                                              A Humble Christmas Fish Poem  2013

       Come gather around my fire and a tale I will tell,

        Listen real close because I don't want to yell,

        T'was the night before Christmas, and the roof was a clatter,

        Santa and his Reindeer had landed, that's what was a matter.

        He said " I know you have been extra good this year,

        so I…

Hi, If you will indulge me for a moment, I will tell a little about myself...

My name is David and I'm new here to BigBluegill.com.  My wife and I make our home in Florida's panhandle.  We have been married for... well over half of my life to this point.

I was introduced to fishing by my older sister's boyfriend when I was in middle school.  He and I spent a good deal of time chasing both fresh and saltwater fish.  We even caught a few.  I just about drove my…

Last week I lost my life time fishing partner and friend, my father, after a long but brave battle with pancreatic cancer, and just yesterday I lost my awesome Navy Veteran grandfather on my mothers side, also after a brave battle with cancer. Such a rough week, I need to go fishing.

Next time you BBG Friends go out, catch some fish for a couple of fallen brethren. Thank you guys.

  Today I convinced myself to go fish for some panfish at my neighbor's pond. It was 27 degrees out, and raining/sleeting/snowing on and off. I suited up in chest waders and a gore tex jacket, on top of many layers of warm clothes, and headed out. My weapon of choice was a 1" gulp minnow rigged on a trout magnet jighead under a float. I caught a small crappie withing minutes of starting fishing, and then landed 2 nice bull gills around 7-8". I had to break the ice off my guides between…

WELL DON'T KNOW WERE TO START A TRIBUTE TO LEO , and his family , for his efforts on here but I'll try in my own fashion:

   When I first came to this site it was my pleasure to become friends with Dick Tabbert , Leo , and so many others on here just too numerous to mention.

    BUT LETS' PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE : WHO IS LEO ? VERY COMPLEX QUESTION with a short and simple answer. He's one of the most giving of time, knowledge , and expert advise , on the site period. If I am…

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/fishing/freshwater-tips/panfish/bluegill-fishing-quiz.htm

Been digging around the internet, looking for the common insect nymph forms in my region. I found one source that is perfect, listing all the taxonomic names. Pictures abound and my file is full. I have the four main types to tie.

Mayflies

Caddis flies

Odonata - dragon and damsel flies

Diptera - aka, chironomids, blood worms, etc.

So now I'm a ding-danged entomologist! All hail the internet.

PS I dont know what a "wazoo" is, but stuff…

Seasonal Lure  choices for Northeast New Jersey Fishing

 I usually progress through the year something like this: Hard water into ice out through March into April ;mostly Jigs tipped with live bait progressing to spoons .Spinners ,Crankbaits , plastic worms and Topwater plugs in the warmer months and as late Fall/early Winter  appears ,I'm  back through spoons to Jigs again .

 This monthly list reflects what has worked…

It's that time of year again in Northern Minnesota, when the lakes lock up, the hands, go numb, and we drill to get our fish! Local reports are flooding in with 4-5 inches on most of the smaller lakes. Some of the larger lakes have ice up it is dangerous yet. I don't know when I will be able to get the auger out this year. I have been dealing with Sciactica since September 22nd. I have done phyisical theropy for a month and a half, and most recently had a spinal epidural cortisone shot in…

Many things that happen in nature are very interesting and the color changes for the Black Crappie species is pretty cool. Down here on the tidal waters these fish go through three distinct color changes which are easy indications of the season. Just curious if the other members that catch a few crappie along the way see similar changes in their region......I've included a few pictures to support these facts......…

As per request of BBG members, I will try to post the article from my files about our recent trip to the rivers of the Albermarle. This appeared in this Sundays issue of the Carroll County Times...one of the regional column I do on fishing in the Mid Atlantic region.

SLABBIN%20In%20the%20Swamps.doc

Here are the photos with the text...…

hi i'am new to this site,but thanks to all of you,i now have some friends who believe in bluegills as i do.most of my

so - so -called fishing buddie's laugh at me for fishing for blue-gills.i have been catching some nice size gills,in the

one to two pd sizes.when they see them,they don't believe me.i like pleasant lake and out by fountain hills,that's where i catch the most.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/lakes/shepherd.pdf

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/lakes/waywayanda.pdf

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/lakes/pompton.pdf…

Spring and summer has gone past and i didnt even really get to fish much. We had horrible weather,, rising water,... just a horrible fishing season for freshwater. Saltwater, reds and specks, thats all good, but not too great with freshwater.

I goofed and left my Master telescopic pole in the sun and it messed it up. 

Wanted to ask yall , for those who jig for gill and sacalait, what colors tend to work best in the Fall? Down here, blue and white.. seems to work best, a…