Stunted Growth

[Rudy Reynosa (True Shot)]

Today, befor I went to college I had a few hrs. on my hands so I went fishing. I had fished this pond befor and cought some big cat fish and some huge bass. No one ever fishes this pond because it's right in front of a fitness gym, but I do. So today I thought I would try out some blugill fishing. I had my fly rod and my gillrod with worms. I was catching them left and right but they were all about the same size 4 to 5 inchs only. So I thought some bigger ones would come out later. Then I started to think mybe they have a growth stunt. Turns out they do no one were I live likes to eat bluegill so they just through them back and keep the bass and cat. With no real predators to keep there population in check they out grew the pond. Now you only get the little ones. So if you have your own pond don't be the guy who says throw them back keep some. For every 2 lbs of blue gills I keep 1/2 lb of bass. thats just me, and my gills stay big with a good population of bass and gills. I love the taste of bluegills. It's a shame that such a nice little pond got delt a bad hand.

[Bill Wisch]

IN COOK COUNTY IL. FOREST PRESERVES THEY WENT THE OPPOSITE & MADE THE MIN. LENGTH TO KEEP 8" AND THE BLUEGILL ARE GETTING BIGGER.

[Charles Singleton]

I have the same problem in a tank (stock tank) I fish near the house. I'm the only one who regularly fishes for 'gills. There are, probably, half a dozen other people who come out two or three times a month, but they're targeting bass and cats. The bass do fairly well - I caught one a short while back that would've gone around 3.5lbs. The cats - same; I caught one this spring (by accident - I was targeting 'gills) that was around 20" - don't know the weight (2.5lb? 3?). The 'gills, on the other hand - I have yet to catch one from that tank that would go more than 7". Most are 4-5". Disappointing, but it's a convenient place to fish, and I can usually bag four or five in my first hour and a half, and that's about all I usually spend there - from dawn 'til around 8:30 or 9am. I keep some, now and then, but I need to keep more than I do.

[JBplusThuy]

At Lake Cuyamaca, in the mountains of San Diego County, catch and release is actually forbidden, except for smallmouth (C&R only; recently introduced and trying to get a breeding base going) and undersize sturgeon. They even have a posted policy stating that if you are caught catching and releasing other species, you'll be asked to leave. They didn't used to have this policy, but the lake was drained some years ago for earthquake repairs on the dam and restocked after. Still trying to get to the same size panfish they used to have.

Back in the 70s there were big redear there, but they apparently weren't restocked after the draining. Now it's bluegill and crappie only for panfishers.

[Tobias Jackson Jr.]

yea I understand what you mean, and yea it is a shame that people still don't understand the good in bluegill eating and fly fishing. Hugh?

[Nick Holt]

A couple of years ago, I was fishing for crappie and gills at one of the city lakes. I was catching "stunted" gills about 4-5 inches and crappie around the same length. Out of frustration, I was throwing them back when a voice behind me stated "if you throw one more fish back I'll cite you!" The game warden told me that he wanted me to take any fish I caught. I could take them home, give them away, or use them for fertilizer. He went on to tell me that the city of Columbus, does not maintain these watershed lakes and there are too many stunted fish and we are suffering from overpopulation. It eased my mind and took a lot of the shame away and I enjoyed loading up on fish. I agree that the smaller fish taste great and have encouraged my fishing buddies to use the same tactic. I also have a neighbor that will take every fish that I don't care to keep. Good fishing, Nick Holt.