Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

Two trips to The Everglades netted more than 500 fish. The fishing is red hot down there. We did catch bluegill, but not many. Bulk of the catch was oscar. Bet we caught more than 300 oscar over two trips.

They're the fightingest fish in Florida's fresh waters.

Caught most of them on Myakka Minnows.



Views: 2910

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Holy Smokes, Steve!!! I am having a hard time kicking the shack nasties and your aren't helping ;-) Keep the excellent reports coming and lots of fish pictures!!!
You guessed right. They can be traced back to 1954 in South Florida waters. I have to drive about 2 hours south to get into them. Too cold here in Sarasota. Oscar and other exotics seem to peacefuly co-exist with native species. There's some really good bass, bluegill, shellcracker and speckled perch fishing in The 'Glades. Last trip down, I even caugth four nice warmouth perch.




Oscar are very good to eat and yield thick fillets.
I bet they bulldog pretty good....are they good table fare?
That's nice Steve. Never caught an oscar in the wild, only in my aquarium. Never seen that fly before, could you post a photo. Thanks.
Check my new post: Tying the Myakka Minnow.
What a bulldog!

Looks like I've got another fish on my "fish wish list".
Bruce,

You've never felt a fish fight quite like an oscar. For most fly fishing bluegill and panfish, I use 6X tippet (about 3 pound test). That's waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too light for oscar and Mayan cichlids. I have to "beef" up to at least 3X and sometimes heavier.

They're very structure-oriented and their first response after being hooked is to get back into the structure. It's your job to keep them from doing that.

Typical oscar structure:

Now that is way cool! I love my fishing in Nebraska, but one of these days, I gotta do some traveling to get into some fishing like that! Thanks for sharing an outstanding trip report and the kick but pictures!!!
Well Bruce and Alex G. when your southbound on I-65 headed to I-10 you can pick me up at exit 19 in satsuma and I will do the cookin! I got some really nice flies to fish with to thanks to Alex!
Interesting! Its new to me! I went to Florida and one time we stay hotel for one night near Disney and I walked to a pond.....no fishing allowed! I saw some real big bluegills but I looked at it again and it is Blue Tilopia. Someday I would love to catch Oscar and Blue Tilopia!
How's Oscar fight? Like Bluegill?
Bluegills are tough little fighters, and Oscars fight like bluegills on steroids! GREAT fighters, very strong...especially on a fly rod!


Wow a fish that size sells for close to a hundered bucks in the pet stores here.

RSS

Latest Activity

John Sheehan posted photos
18 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Quality Gills…Caught and Released….7/9/2025

"Thanks Bruce…..I think they’re here for the Buck moon tomorrow and a week from now…"
Thursday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Beautiful Crappie Replica Mounts…..7/9/2025

"I thought they tuned out great…..the tuxedo crappie looks real…."
Thursday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Wednesday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"We’re in another heat wave so I got to my first spot ten minutes before sunrise….left the ramp at 5:30 and back on the trailer at 8:30…"
Wednesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Nesting Pair of Ospreys......

"Yeah most nests are not this close to the water and this river is remote with alligators and large…"
Jul 7
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Nesting Pair of Ospreys......

"Guess the Osprey knew it was a great spot too. The Cormorants up here are murder on the stocked…"
Jul 7
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Nesting Pair of Ospreys......

"This was a great fishing spot for me until the osprey nested……I’ve seen chicks…"
Jul 6
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Jul 6
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

So many spots to place your bait...

"These cypress trees are now in the water….still producing great fishing…"
Jul 6
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

The big Cypress downed by a Hurricane.....

"This is a good example John…..I posted this picture in 2012 and a couple weeks ago I caught…"
Jul 6
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Jul 6
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Found a Few Hibiscus not Quite Bloomed…..7/5/2025

"Thanks John…..being in the south we’re always drawn to cypress trees and the…"
Jul 6
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Found a Few Hibiscus not Quite Bloomed…..7/5/2025

"Nice info, Jeffrey! Up here my main Crappie habits have been wood cover near deep water and willow…"
Jul 6
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

My Dad Doesn't know Where to Cast Next.......

"This is my dad who loved fishing…..this cove is similar to the one with all cattails but in…"
Jul 6

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service