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: 321

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

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…"
yesterday
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…."
yesterday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
yesterday
Bruce Tomaselli commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
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…"
yesterday
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…"
Monday
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…"
Monday
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…"
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Sunday
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…"
Sunday
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…"
Sunday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Sunday
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…"
Sunday
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…"
Sunday
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…"
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

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

"I think all fresh water fish like to relate to cattails…..the most cattails I’ve ever…"
Sunday

© 2025   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service