Best of 2012.......Beast from Beaver Creek

Comment

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 18, 2013 at 9:44am

You have to resort to some tricks when you want to get a decent photo and you go it alone....New gadgets are coming on the market that make this process easier,,,,I will continue to evolve along with it....but when it's real hot out the key is to get a couple quick shots and return the fish ASAP.....

Comment by Jim Gronaw on January 18, 2013 at 8:05am

BTW Jeffrey...you remind me a bit of the character 'Wilson' who used to be on the show Home Improvement. I don't know if I ever got to see your whole mug shot! And I, too, sometimes peek over the back of a good fish!

Comment by Jim Gronaw on January 18, 2013 at 8:01am

Bluegill fishing has many forms of satisfaction, of which all I enjoy. One day, I might be in the mood for a numbers game of quality 8 to 9.5 inch fish, with the option to keep a few for the pan. On another day, perhaps at another lake, the effort might be more geared toward the chance of a personal best, or a trophy class fish, or maybe several trophy class fish. And then, I have sat on a bucket on a frozen lake and caught oodles of 6 to 7 inch fish that were so abundant that it just made sense to keep a bunch for those deep-fried 'bluegill poppers'.

That's the cool thing about the bluegill...they always satisfy!

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 17, 2013 at 4:43pm

It's all good here Tony.....

Comment by Tony Livingston on January 17, 2013 at 4:17pm

Absolutely Jeffrey! If it involves a Lepomid, point me to it and turn me loose!

I would like to correct a statement that I made earlier... I stated that Mother nature provided tens of thousands of good fish in a BOW....absolutely not so! She MIGHT provide those fish, if the conditions are right, but I've fished some waters where the good fish were few and far between.....let alone the PB and trophies!

I wrote that piece earlier, during lunch, and went back to work. When I saw it again just now, I was flabbergasted....in the future I'll make it a point not to talk on the phone, order parts, eat lunch, and type a reply on BBG, all at the same time.....multitasking not being my strong point apparently!

"Very interesting perspective" indeed Jeffrey.... I appreciate the decorum, but you probably should've said: "What the heck are you talking about Tony!"....... you can set me straight!

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 17, 2013 at 3:25pm

Very interesting perspective for sure Tony...I'm sure you get some satisfaction from growing quality fish too....Whatever the challenge....I'm in if it's Bluegill related!

Comment by Tony Livingston on January 17, 2013 at 11:39am

Recently  had a similar discussion on another forum... I believe in three categories of Bluegills. A good fish, a personal best fish, and a trophy fish. One individual fish may fit into just one, or maybe into all three of these categories simultaneously, but not always.

We all have our goals and ambitions where BG fishing is concerned, and we all approach time spent on the water differently. I used to measure success by numbers caught also, although I was never diehard enough to keep a running tally throughout the year. Now, I'd rather catch that PB or trophy, rather than 75 good fish. I always kind of felt that Mother Nature provides tens of thousands of good fish in a BOW , but only one or two of those are destined to become trophies. I like that challenge.

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 17, 2013 at 9:33am

Thanks Tooty...a great representation of what these waters can offer......Like most anglers, I still push on to break a personal best but the numbers of good fish available is much more meaningful to me than that one monster and a bunch of smaller gills....

Comment by DAVID L EITUTIS on January 16, 2013 at 7:31pm

A WINNER PHOTO , FISH, AND BAIT BY JIM BUDDY!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 16, 2013 at 3:46pm

I owe thanks to Jim Gronaw for great looking grass shrimp jigs......2012 was my introduction to those jigs but it certainly won't be the last......