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Comment by chris naff on February 6, 2013 at 9:12am

I have to laugh here because the "conflict" is clear,but neither side holds the exclusive key to what makes bluegill angling so wonderful.That's why it's funny-an "argument" with supposed flaring gills over where best to catch a BG,when we all know big BGs are about the toughest trophy to catch and release in our pantheon of tough adversaries(fish,that is).Wild BG populations must weather the "Tragedy of the Commons"---therefore a wild-fish specialist(probably most of us),must find those special places inhabited by wild fish which are,nonetheless, subject to the predations of other free access licensed anglers,and their toughness resides there,in the difficulty or challenge of finding and taking them down "in the wild".Fish culturists produce great googly-moogly fish that scare us and cause us to pine and whine if we can't cough up $600 a day to fish RMP,but hey,those fish are TOUGH enough to assuage the hilarious "guilt" of those who would apologize for their "connoissuer's" palate for the possible(I'd throw down the cash if given the chance to fish such a beautiful,exclusive, nirvanic fishing hole). To me,it seems moot to call this a disagreement or even a donnybrook,because everybody is exceedingly polite here,to the point that I feel,that just by being honest about it,Bruce might ax me into the netherworld of banned members but hey---this is an extremely civil board and I am proud to have found you guys,despite the fact that for the most part,you Fish Culturists give my HERO, JDA ,short shrift for his position on wild versus cultured fish.To me,it's not what's in one's head about how great a tough catch you make(made),it's about the sum total of a life spent fishing(and arguing with your buddies about fishing).So,for me,the difference lies in WHOM I would choose to follow and emulate,given the chance to observe,unobserved! Sorry Bruce,if this is too critical of a bunch of BEAUTIFUL people,or BEAUTIFUL fish! 

Comment by mike martinez on February 6, 2013 at 6:14am

That is one beautiful fish.

Comment by carl hendrix on February 5, 2013 at 10:45pm

all i can say is; if i caught a fish like that; i would be on the 6 oclock news in my area! not  to mention calling up the geniss book of world records!  and not that i would add any thing to my fish story;; but by the time it all got back to me; i would believe it myself!!

Comment by dick tabbert on February 5, 2013 at 10:42pm

Amen Bruce to a new and mysterious fishery. It's really the challenge, you know they are there now you have to prove to yourself you can catch them and the more knowledge you have the better your chances but it really give us an opportunity to test that knowledge.

Comment by dick tabbert on February 5, 2013 at 10:31pm

What a topic. I wasn't going to jump in but you know there's some things you have to get your 2 cents on. Personally when I go fishing regardless of were I go I'm fishing for the biggest fish I can possibly get regardless of what body of water I'm on so naturally I want a good body of water with big fish, I wouldn't fish a lake with stunted fish if I knew that's all that was in the lake. Look at me I have a pond out back and do have decent fish but like my wife says I'm never satisfied with the same bodies of water and if I had my way I'd fish them all. I do feed my fish and I'll tell you they are not easy to catch. I do have lakes that I fish that hold big fish but If I know of a body of water that has the possibility of holding a larger fish I'll do my best to get there. I want big fish as we all do that is our goal weather you admit it or not. I don't care where I fish I just want that big tug on the end of the line and lipping the fish after the fight. I'm not fishing to impress anybody but myself cause if you know me there is a 99 percent chance the fish will live to fight another day. Personally I would love to fish Richmond Mill at least once just for the chance of catching that giant but with my circumstances at home I don't see it happening but that doesn't stop me from wishing. Personally I wish everyone could fish it just because there are monsters there and I love to hear the enjoyment of the battle of that giant. I wouldn't care if it were a pay lake or not bless them for even opening it up so that I would have the opportunity to fish it for them giant Gills that we all know that fertile body of water holds. . Anybody who has a pond and works on it will tell you it's not cheap and that is probably the # 1 reason most people won't let you fish is because there afraid you'll fish it out and that wouldn't take long. Then we have the respecting other peoples property issues. I personally have never turned down anybody to fish in my pond especially kids although I do have some stringent rules and as long as they abide by them as long as I'm home and they ask permission I don't have a problem. If you don't own a pond you probably think the fish just appeared one day and they were free I'm here to tell you fish are not cheap. I have fish I payed 90 cents apiece for and some that are around 3 dollars apiece and even more for.  Then you have the bubblier and the pump the feeder and all the upkeep. So when people do fish my pond I know they enjoy themselves and I am more than honored when they obey my rules and they'll have the chance to come back. But I guess the whole issue here is Richmond Mill and if the opportunity ever should arise I will be there. I know it's probably not a cheep fish outing but I think I admire the work that went into it to make it what it is today along with the cost they endured again It wasn't free to them then why should it be free to me. They grow big gills and If the opportunity should arise maybe you'll see me there after that one big fish so I can fill the need.

Comment by Bruce Condello on February 5, 2013 at 10:10pm

I would say, on a slightly different note, that the Perris fish have me so compelled that I'm dying to get there and give them a try!  There's just something cool about a new and mysterious fishery, like RM, or Perris, that just gets me excited for a new adventure!  They're ALL great places to fish.  I'm just counting my blessings right now to live in a country where I can have so many cool options.  We should just celebrate the diverse oppotunities.

Comment by Walt Foreman on February 5, 2013 at 10:06pm

I don't think you overreacted, Bruce.  You know firsthand what it's like to put in thousands of hours of work and a lot of money trying to grow monster bluegill; I don't think anyone who's never put in years of effort just to grow fish to a certain size, can appreciate what it's like to have that effort diminished to a pat analogy that completely devalues your years of work, and what they produced.  I know that's how I felt when I read the earlier comments in the thread; even though they weren't directed at my ponds, indirectly, it's the same.  

Comment by Jim Gronaw on February 5, 2013 at 9:46pm

Bruce is absolutely correct...although Richmond Mill is the premier trophy bluegill fishery in the nation, it is not, in anyway, like shooting fish in a barrel. Like Bruce, I have been blessed to fish there on several occassions. He and I fished there in mid-May a few years ago when gills were spawning and we were doing some shows for Allen Warren Outdoors. In two long, hot days of fishing, I did not catch a single 2 pound bluegill, yes, several 1-14 and a 1-15, but not an honest two. The cold front I had to deal with back in November had the fish shut down almost completely 6 hours prior to the blow-through. Only through dilegent effort was I able to catch a few 'twos', plus a several others very close to that mark.

Yes...these are astonishing fish from a stunning 120 acre millpond that is over 150 years old and is like no place else I have ever fished. Robbie has emerged as the premier bluegill guide on this lake and the fish do move around and go deep, making them tough to catch at times.

I am in awe of these fish, just as I am in awe of the obese and rotund Perris monsters  by LedHed or the shellcrackers from Fish Chris, to the northern giants from Ross Ardoff. Giant bluegills and close kin are a passion and a beautiful thing. And I can certainly appreciate the efforts and time and money spent by guys like Tony, Bruce and Walt as they seek to grow the biggest bluegills they can. Like I said...I feel blessed to have experienced RM and hope to do it again one day.

Comment by Tony Livingston on February 5, 2013 at 9:41pm

In addition to what Bruce and Walt stated in regards to the difficulty sometimes encountered in trying to catch highly managed fish, let me toss out one more wrinkle......catch and release. Try fishing a managed pond where the fish are fed to satiation, fished heavy, and always returned to the water.... I won't get into the whole "fish can think and learn" debate, but let's just say that they become conditioned real quick. And dang near impossible to catch.

Personally, I'm not angry or upset with anyone here. Like Jacob stated, I see good points expressed on both sides. My concern is that we express our opinions in a respectful, appreciative manner. There is room here for all of us, provided we abide by the rules... rudeness and disdain for another's views, accomplishments, and practices is not to be tolerated.

Comment by Jacob Hill on February 5, 2013 at 9:16pm

While not always as friendly  as the conversations are on here, for whatever my opinion's worth, I read the whole thing and I think it's a good healthy conversation. I will say this, while it seems that a lot of the biggest bluegill on here are from Richmond Mill, it is an amazing feat to catch a fish that size, regardless of the spot. While Jim's analogy with the smallmouth is true for smallmouth, I think sunfish are another story. Bass will grow large and dumb in some places where they are not fished, however I have never found a lake (this includes private lakes) where very large bluegill are easy to catch. They always seem to be elusive and take some technique. The fish in my profile picture thing is from believe it or not a pretty heavily fished lake, however virtually no one fishes for the rock bass. Regardless the fish are very difficult to catch and smart. These fish live in an area where boats rarely go, yet they are smart in turn difficult to catch. As they get larger they seem to get smarter and smarter. That's why these bluegill amaze me. And that is truly an amazing fish.

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