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Richmond Mill--World class bluegill fishery.

Let me start by saying that I could make this blog post go on forever. I just came back from the best bluegill fishing of my life, so I'm a little fired up.

I'll try to keep it short.

Richmond Mill Lake is in North Carolina. It's a private, managed fishery that world-renowned pond and lake manager Bob Lusk has been in charge of.

Jim Morgan is the owner. He recognizes beauty and opportunity when he sees them, and he wanted to turn this lake into the best of it's kind.

So he hired Bob Lusk.

The original goal was to create a world-class largemouth bass fishery, and they're well on their way. The largemouth frequently exceed 5 pounds. The sky's the limit.

But something happened along the way.

Giant bluegill started showing up. Bass anglers were catching them on spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

I saw some pictures of them and about lost my mind. I had Bob contact Jim in the hopes that we could feature some of these fish on this website, and they graciously complied. A couple of the photos of RM bluegill were the most popular ever on this site. Lots of eyebrows were raised.

Jim Gronaw, who is a prodigious outdoor writer, and bluegill enthusiast hinted that he might like to know more about this amazing lake. So I contacted Jim Gronaw, Bob Lusk and Jim Morgan and we decided to collaborate on some articles to expose the public to a place where a person could go to have a legitimate shot at two pound bluegills.

This blog will temporarily be open only to Lusk, Gronaw, Morgan, myself and others who have personally enjoyed this lake. We'll take turns commenting on some of our experiences. Keep in mind that many of the best photos and information will be saved for an upcoming article in "In-Fisherman" magazine. There are some pictures that are even more staggering that need to be held back for now. :-)

Stay tuned.

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Comment by Greg Clusiau on November 27, 2009 at 5:05am: Holy smokes!

Comment by Bruce Condello on November 17, 2009 at 11:02am: This fish was 2-2, and the biggest I caught was 2-6.

Comment by John H. Magurean on November 17, 2009 at 7:09am: WOW, that is one fine bluegill !!! Tell us what the weight was and what it was caught on. Looking forward to the In-Fisherman article. How about posting more pictures from RM Lake. I am going to reread the article in Pond Boss Magazine about Richmond Mill Lake!

Comment by 10.5" RES Sharon on November 15, 2009 at 6:40pm: I don't see anywhere where you posted how much that fish weighed.

Comment by Bruce Condello on November 13, 2009 at 2:53pm: I was thinking of doing a blog on just that question, Jason.

Give me a little time and I'll try to put something together.

Comment by Jason Firkus on November 13, 2009 at 11:23am: AWSOME POST AND PIC BRUCE! ANY TIPS ON HOW TO TAKE QUALITY PICTURES LIKE MANY OF THE ONES YOU ARE IN?

Comment by Bluegill Chaser on November 6, 2009 at 1:00pm: That is such an amazing fish. Did you by chance weight it? What is the fee for fishing on that private lake?

Comment by Bruce Condello on November 4, 2009 at 11:57am: Thanks! I'll take 'em any way I can get 'em. :-)

Comment by Lord of the Fly , Rods on November 2, 2009 at 3:56pm: WOW, that fish is bigger than your head, did you get a chance to taste any of them?

Comment by Steve Crowder on November 1, 2009 at 8:50am: What a great story and experience Bruce. Glad you got to enjoy such a beautiful place. Been looking for such a place myself since moving north (North Caolina). I live about an hour and a half from Rockingham. Since Richmond Hill is private, do they allow the fishing public access? Thanks.