Best of 2022….Addictive Gills

Comment

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 4, 2023 at 1:52pm

Thanks John……I have a few bucket list fishing destinations when I retire but as I tell my wife all the time…..it’s hard to pass up great fishing close to home to journey to other fisheries…..

Comment by John Sheehan on January 4, 2023 at 7:16am

AH so they expanded their range. I imagine they are quite aggressive by Nature! Great experience you have Jeffrey 1 All the best!

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on January 3, 2023 at 4:01pm

Thanks John…..this species is the main reason I homesteaded in North Carolina. I lived in coastal South Carolina for 13 years and that is where I caught my first of many quality Coppernose…….my research in the 90s included eastern North Carolina and extreme southeastern Virginia, anglers in both of these regions had caught Coppernose …..but it was not until 1999 when I first fished the Albemarle Sound region…..a friend and I hit a back creek with similar patterns to South Carolina and we caught several dozen quality Coppernose on that first outing. Since then I have caught them in 11 rivers in North Carolina and 2 rivers in Virginia, over 4,000 this year alone. I’ve never had more fun Fishing than an active colony of these wonderful Coppernose…A local biologist believes that it’s taken thousands of years for these Florida strain bluegill to naturally expand their range. I’m humbled every year I get to enjoy these fish…..

Comment by John Sheehan on January 3, 2023 at 1:58pm

Man, those Copper nose are wide! Are they a Florida strain Fish introduced to your area? We don't see them up here in New Jersey.