Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

Hello all. New guy here, and I'm a trophy Bluegill wannabee :-)

I'm a fishing fool, who will fish for anything that will bite my hook, but like many anglers, my first fish was a Bluegill (42 years ago... I'm 44) caught on my late Uncle Elton's private pond.

Anyway, my claim to fishing fame (if you want to call it that ;-) is big Largemouth's. I've caught 88 over 10 lbs, with a PB of 18.4lbs ...... but for all different reasons, I'm getting a little burnt out on them (at least until I get into another good big bass bite ;-)
Some of my other PB's are an 8.5 lb Smallmouth.
A 300+ lb Sturgeon.... Oh, and a 90 lb'er on my micro-light Bluegill rod :-) That was fun. 2hr and 10 minute fight.
110 lb Bat Ray
31.2 lb Striper
30.2 lb Channel Cat.
2.7 lb Crappie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But what I'd REALLY love to catch someday, is a straight up, legitimate, 2.0 lb Bluegill, or better !

My best big Bluegill fishing in the last few years, has been at Clear Lk. CA. I catch lots of 8" to 10" pure Bluegill. But I also catch a bunch of even heavier Sunfish of some sort of Hybrid. They look a lot like Green Sunfish, but are often too wide... too big... and sometimes have the verticle barring of a Bluegill. I suspect they are Bluegill x Green Sunfish hybrids.... but without DNA testing, who really knows ? Gorgeous though, and REALLY strong !

I posted some photos of these fish in the photos section.... Can you guys find these from here ? Or should I attach them directly to this post ? Let me know.

Anyway, I'm planning a Clear Lk. sunfish trip (or a few) in the next few weeks. Will post photos if I get some. {I'm into photography pretty heavy too... and my photography has come quite a ways, since the sunfish photos I posted here}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anybody here ever heard of, or fished Lake Pillsbury CA ? It's supposed to be awesome for giant Bluegill..... but a long, horrendous, unpaved drive :-(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for being so long winded..... but finding this site has opened the floodgate for all of my Sunfish thoughts ;-) LOL

So, finally, has anyone here ever seen, or fished for, Sacramento Perch ? They are the only species of Sunfish that are actually native to the West coast. They were pretty much decimated with the introduction of Largemouth's Bluegill, and other non-natives..... but they still thrive in just a couple places... most notably, Crowley Lake in Bishop CA. I'm trying to make a trip there this year too. 5 hours one way though......

Anyway, please forgive my rambling. Hope somebody is interested....

Peace,
Fish Chris

Views: 308

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Finding this site re-awakened my love of 'gills too ! Now that you've admitted to your "problem", its time for the therapy ! steve b

RSS

Latest Activity

John Sheehan posted photos
7 minutes ago
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

11cupsawc

"Crappie have always impressed me with the way they look! A very fond memory is the first one I…"
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

11cupsawc

"More beautiful golden Fall colors on the Black Crappie…..nice fish!"
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

cupsawbg9bs

"Nice gill on the beetle spin!"
Tuesday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

cupsawc

"Like the calico colors of the Fall…..nice crappie John!"
Tuesday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on John Sheehan's photo
Monday
John Sheehan posted photos
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

STCrappie

"You bet Bruce! Fishing for an hour to an hour and a half each day I 've been getting three or…"
Sunday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

STCrappie

"About a dozen of those would be great! Nice crappies."
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on John Sheehan's photo
Thumbnail

466097223_10236349245411317_8266863466993619288_n

"Top: Shimano Sensilite 5'6"Rod /Daiwa Spinmatic Reel. Trilene clear xl 2# test…"
Saturday
John Sheehan posted photos
Nov 8
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Joe’s Personal Best Yellow Perch….11/3/2024

"Thanks Tracy……I was very glad that my son-in-law got this bite….he has been…"
Nov 7
tracy willis commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Nov 7
John Sheehan posted photos
Nov 5
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

A Flock of Ibis Roost on a Duck Blind Near Back Bay, North Carolina….11/5/2024

These birds pass through and feed in the shallow marshes….cold weather will push them south…but we…
Nov 5
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Joe’s Personal Best Yellow Perch….11/3/2024

"Thanks Bruce ….Joe was very excited to get his hands on this perch……I started…"
Nov 5
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Nov 5
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Joe’s Personal Best Yellow Perch….11/3/2024

"Thanks Dick….fish like this give you motivation to make a few more casts even on a very…"
Nov 4
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Few More Gills From Today…..11/3/2024

"Thanks Dick…..it’s slowing like you would expect in the Fall….but with…"
Nov 4
dick tabbert commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Joe’s Personal Best Yellow Perch….11/3/2024

"Wow, I'd take them all day long."
Nov 4

© 2024   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service