Nother 'Boy" Gill

Comment

Comment by Jim Gronaw on May 24, 2009 at 9:12pm

Hey Walt, over the years I have weighed hundreds of gills at Piney Run Park where I work, for panfish tournaments and for local and state citation programs. In my region a 10 inch gill that is healthy will usually go either side of a pound, within an ounce or two. An 11 inch fish usually runs from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs. Very seldom do we see fish that exhibit the tremendous girth that some of the California or Nebraska fish do.

My wife has caught a hybred that was just shy of 12 in and likely very close to 2 lbs. As a family we have caught a number of gills in the 11 1/2 to 11 7/8 range, but never got that coveted 12 incher. We are checking out a couple of new ponds this year, including Records Pond in Seaford Delaware where I saw pix of 14 in shellcrackers taken from a recent shocking survey. We'll keep you posted!

Comment by Jim Gronaw on May 24, 2009 at 7:28pm

Walt, I got this fish, and just about everything else this year, on a live earthworm fished on a # 12 hook with no weight and lo-vis lines in very clear water. Real, real simple stuff. Every year I try to do something different...last year baits for bass and winter crappies...the year before Potomac Blue Cats...this year, live worms for all species and getting back to some fishing basics.

And also, unless I am keeping fish, I almost never weigh them unless they are truely exceptional. Weigh big cats and stripers, but almost never bass and panfish. I'm happy with a quick measurement and a photo for released panfish and bass. I really don't care to stress fish any more than is needed to capture a memory. Thanks for the nice comments!