Do you love big bluegill?

Catch and release?

Hi, I'm new here. Seems like a real nice site. Do you keep most of your catch when you go panfishing? Or do you do catch and release? I'm going tomorrow and really don't feel like cleaning fish so I'll be throwing back. I'm sure I'll be getting nice fish as a result!

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Comment by John Sikkila on August 8, 2009 at 8:16pm: All catch and release for me...but then again I'm 60 years old!.....30 years ago I ate all of em I caught...lol!......We evolve I guess ...just a personal perspective thing of course....Today I probably hooked and released over a hundred gills and sunnies...and about 15 crappies(about 11")....I photographed them...then released em all.....It was a good day....I downloaded my photos onto the computer and can look at em next january when it's 35 below and "enjoy em" all over again!....lol!....

Comment by Jim Gronaw on August 8, 2009 at 8:00pm: I'll keep eater-sized 7 1/2 to 9 1/2 inch gills from time to time if they are abundant in the fisheries and can tolerate some harvest. Probably 95 % of the 10 inch and up gills have been released, including an 11 3/4 in and 11 7/8 inch BG/GSF hybrids that were our PR's. I f we want to sustain trophy fisheries then catch and release is needed.

Comment by Michael S on August 6, 2009 at 11:10am: I threw 'em all back yesterday. Got a few nice ones. Overall, a beautiful day....but poor to middling fishing.

Comment by Lord of the Fly , Rods on August 4, 2009 at 8:48pm: I eat bluegill, I eat big bluegill, I mainly catch them where it impossible to try to manage fish like aquaculture, in a natural setting Mother Nature does a better job than man can and we look it it as a renewable resource , but I know that that is not possible in ponds with uncontrolled harvest and an unbalanced bass to bluegill ratio

Comment by Rob Garner on August 4, 2009 at 7:36pm: Actually I do both if I catch enough eater sized ones I'll take em home if not i release em.If I start catching the big uns I usually release those with the exception of a couple.

Comment by Bruce Condello on August 4, 2009 at 1:40pm: I love eating bluegill.

Comment by Jimbo on August 4, 2009 at 1:04pm: In the event that I catch on a big one It's usually a fluke, so if I start catching bream big enough to eat then I'll eat them.

Comment by Bruce Condello on August 4, 2009 at 10:21am: We have a lot of folks who practice strictly catch and release, and a lot of folks who love the hot grease method. We have a diverse group here and we respect all of them. We do however try to teach folks that there are some limited resources out there, and when it's appropriate catch and release of larger bluegill can be a fantastic way to create BIG BLUEGILL fisheries!

Comment by Trevor on August 4, 2009 at 9:42am: mostly catch and release. every once and a while i go on a meat hunt though, in which case i

CATCH AND RELEASE IN A PAN OF HOT GREASE.