Some for the Table..........Good Eaters..... 8 to 9 Inch Class Gills

Comment

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on August 4, 2014 at 11:48pm

Thanks Ken......we haven't seen the sunshine since last Thursday so our water temps have slowly dropped about a degree per day during that time........we can expect a real good bite later this week as the temps will rebound and prey items like grass shrimp and zoo plankton will become more active during the spike........The lucky anglers that catch the water falling later this week can expect big bags on the upper Albemarle which will be better than average for the "dog days" of August as we commonly call them.......So eight to twelve hours after any northerly component wind begins and anglers shall prosper as fish of all species work the ambush tactics...You're doing very well in Michigan Ken.....don't sell yourself short......the best part is everybody can fish for gills across the country.....

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on August 4, 2014 at 11:37pm

Totally agree David......I'm never disappointed with gills like this......As for my reference to the fish being scattered......essentially you must cover more water and structure to get your fish later in the summer compared to colonized fish during nesting......I covered roughly two miles of shore line on this trip catching fish the entire way and occasionally catching several in one area. Many fish have remained shallow with our sustained moderate water temperatures versus pulling out to transition zones in a little deeper water normally avoiding water temps over 90 which is not uncommon in August.......

Comment by Slip Sinker on August 4, 2014 at 8:05pm

i think you carolina guys have to spot us michiganders 2 in on a bluegill. your 11 is our 9. :)

Comment by Slip Sinker on August 4, 2014 at 7:51pm

i watched the surface temp rise from 78 deg at noon to 82 at 7pm

Comment by Slip Sinker on August 4, 2014 at 7:49pm

nice mess o fish Jeff!

bluegill were spread thin for me all day too

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on August 4, 2014 at 7:05pm

I fish all day for gill in that class.
I've been blessed to catch 2+ pound bluegills. There are bigger, but to me they were fish of a lifetime.
But fish like these, Jeff? All day, brother, all day.

PS When you say scattered, just what does that mean for you?

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on August 4, 2014 at 5:47pm

Some stragglers still grouped up but the gills are beginning to scatter.......