Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

How long would you say it would take the newborn bluegill fry to become an inch and a half fingerling? I am asking this because the first week of febuary I pulled up inch and a half bg fingerlings in my minnow traps.  I would think that if they were that size the first week of febuary that they would have been born well  before their prospective spawning season started

Views: 5430

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

It takes roughly 2-4 months to reach that size. Much has to do with the available food.

"Some bluegills begin spawning in their first year. However, most don't spawn until they are two years old. The older they get, the more eggs they produce. A four year old female produces about 20,000 eggs. Bluegills will spawn over most types of bottom and often throughout the summer. Eggs hatch in three to four days.

The tremendous reproductive ability of bluegills can cause problems for the fish pond owner. Bluegills often produce more young than the pond can support. When this happens, bluegill growth is very poor and few fish reach sizes desired by the pond owner. Corrective management is then warranted." - INDIANA DNR

 

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3454.htm

 

http://warmwaterflyfisher.com/wwjournal/wwjournaboutbluegill3.htm

 

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/fisheries/investigational...

 

http://www.ehow.com/facts_7473733_hybrid-bluegill-growth-rates.html

 

 

Those fingerlings are from a late-summer spawn last year.  Bluegill spawn multiple times throughout the Summer; from April, usually when the first spawn happens though it might happen in March for you, through September a pond could have four or five spawns.  Not all of the fish are spawning each spawn, but it's not uncommon to be able to find a few spawning all throughout the Summer.

 

Small bluegill won't grow much through the winter because there's not much plankton, their primary food source, for them to eat.

RSS

Latest Activity

Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Troy Dorman's photo
Thumbnail

1000003891

"Pretty Northern strain bluegill Troy!"
18 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Troy Dorman's photo
Thumbnail

1000003887

"Great fish….this is the right kind!"
18 hours ago
Troy Dorman posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Picked up Several Nice Yellow Perch Shallow…..4/29/2025

"Thanks John….never get tired of quality perch bites…"
yesterday
John Sheehan posted photos
Wednesday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Wednesday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

493726391_10238746707466370_4942384414329687790_n

"Good job ,Jeff! The ones I caught were probably in 5-6 ' but long cast from shore. These…"
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Picked up Several Nice Yellow Perch Shallow…..4/29/2025

Also caught two nice white perch shallow also…
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Dock Crappie…..4/29/2025

We had blue skies with 81 degrees…strong southwest wind but our water was still blown out from the…
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"It was still windy but a friend and I splashed this afternoon, nice mixed bag ….low water at 70 degree surface temperatures…good times…"
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

493726391_10238746707466370_4942384414329687790_n

"Nice John….I caught several white perch this afternoon very shallow…"
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Troy Dorman's photo
Thumbnail

1000003851

"Pretty specimen Troy!"
Monday
John Sheehan commented on Troy Dorman's photo
Thumbnail

1000003857

"Posting some nice Fish, Troy!"
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

492222666_10238698533862060_5336729201480880262_n

"Fish are flopping around like its July up here and we haven't seen May yet! Very weird year!"
Sunday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Troy Dorman's photo
Thumbnail

1000003857

"I can just taste the fillets!"
Sunday
Troy Dorman posted photos
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Apr 26

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service