The Bluegill Diaries.....Loch, Stock, and big as a barrel........ Someday!

[Tony Livingston]

This blog will be an attempt on my part to document my family's attempt to grow consistent numbers of big Bluegill, which in this case will mean fish that weigh one pound or over. The key words here being "consistent numbers". Think of the times you have seen a photo of a smiling angler holding up a single, colossal Bluegill. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, after all it was his or her skill as an angler that lead to that memorable catch, and they should be justifiably proud of the achievement.

Our efforts however, are directed towards growing a quantity of larger fish, and if need be we are willing to sacrifice the ultimate size potential of a few specimens, so that a greater number of our fish may achieve a smaller, but still well above average size. I suspect that the techniques and methods needed to produce a quantity of bigger-than-normal Bluegill are applicable in many private ponds and lakes across the country, requiring only a modest monetary investment,  diligence, and some hands-on input from the pondowner.

Simply stated, our ideal scenario is one in which we can catch 20 Bluegill, and at least 14 of those fish will weigh between a pound, and a pound and a quarter. The remaining 6 fish should not weigh less than 14 ozs. This should be fairly easy to achieve, and in fact we are very close now. The next logical question concerns whether or not this ratio can be maintained, and still allow for a modest harvest. This is an area my family and I will be exploring in the near future.

So, to begin, an introduction to my family's ponds!

 

[Leo Nguyen]

Holy molly. Look at the bottom undergrowth. What are the undergrowth plants/weeds?

[Tony Livingston]

Well, the calendar says it's early Feb, but our water temps say otherwise.... 45 degrees today, which is a huge increase from last week. I was only able to catch a few Bluegills this weekend, and they all came from shallower water, contrary to the preceeding weeks' deep-water fish.

I noticed a lot of action in the shallows, caused by Largemouth Bass on the prowl. That makes sense, as I was catching Bluegills up in the coves, where the water depths averaged 6-8'. I'm still suspending an ice jig tipped with a beemoth below a slip float, although if the fish go much shallower I will switch to a fixed float style. I doubt that will be necessary, as this early warmup is the exception, rather than the rule. I feel the water temps will decrease some in the upcoming week, driving the fish back out to deeper water. Here's a couple shots showing the type of shallow water, dark bottomed cove that I favor for early season Bluegill fishing. In a few weeks time, this area will be a hotbed of pre-spawn feeding activity.

[Leo Nguyen]

Excellent follow-up Tony. Well explained, and great forward of warning for consuming sushi version of bluegill. Just to add on top of the warning. These parasite can and will migrate to your brain tissue, causing a devastating amount of illnesses before you can detect them. Treatable, but devastating if you don't catch them in time.

[Tony Livingston]

[Tony Livingston]

Tonight I thought I would touch on a subject that is sometimes misunderstood by casual Bluegill anglers...parasites in the fish itself. I'll concentrate on the two varieties most often encountered in my area, those being the "black spot", or Uvulifer ambloplitis, and the "yellow grub", or Clinostomum marginatum.

These two unsightly critters have a few similarities. They are both a type of larval flatworm parasite, which are referred to as digenetic trematodes. In addition, their lifecycles have some common ingredients, as we shall see.

I'll start with the black spot, or pre-peppered  variety to those with a sense of humor. The cycle begins when a fish eating bird, such as a great Blue Heron (GBH) or Kingfisher (KF), eats an infected fish. The flatworms grow to sexual maturity in the bird's intestines, and release eggs which are deposited into the water with the birds' feces. The eggs hatch into the first larval stage, and set off to find a snail, which they burrow into and continue to develop. After transitioning further, the worm exits the snail as a free-swimming second stage larvae. It then finds a fish host and burrows into its flesh where a cyst forms, giving it the characteristic black spot appearance. It remains in the fish until the fish is eaten by a GBH or KF, where the larvae matures completely in the birds intestines, completing the cycle.

The yellow grub's life cycle begins with eggs being deposited into the water from the throat of a GBH, or perhaps an Egret. The eggs hatch, giving the larvae a few short hours in which to find a host... again, this will be a snail. It matures further inside the snail, then emerges as a free swimming larvae and seeks out a fish host. It invades the fish, often seen on the fins or tail, but also found in the flesh, where it develops into the yellow grub so often seen in fillets. It will remain in the fish for years, until the fish is eaten by a GBH or Egret, when the grubs will move to the throat of the bird and mature. Once mature, the grub's eggs are deposited into the water while the bird feeds, completing the cycle.

 

As can be seen, there is common ground shared by both of these parasites. Eliminating them from the water is near impossible once they are established, with most efforts concentrating on stocking a species of fish which are capable of preying on snails, thereby interrupting the lifecycle of both parasites. Redear Sunfish are most often employed in this capacity, at least in more southerly latitudes, as they are equipped with hard, moveable plates in their throat, referred to as pharyngeal teeth, which enable them to crush the snail's shell. Hence the name "shellcracker". In more Northern waters outside the Redears' normal range, a close relative of the Redear, the more cold tolerant Pumpkinseed Sunfish is used in the same manner, as they also have the pharyngeal teeth, or plate.

Neither of these parasites are harmful to humans as long as the fish is properly cooked. The appearance may be unsightly, but there is no reason not to enjoy your catch.

[Tony Livingston]

Definitely Jeffrey! I consider ice fishing the winter equivalent of the spring spawning period. They may be harder to locate, but when you combine cooperative fish with the right lure and presentation, look out!

Here in the more northern latitudes, it is generally accepted that the largest male Bluegills are most vulnerable during the spawn, when harvesting large numbers can be the norm. However, I believe that uncontrolled harvests during the ice fishing season can do nearly as much damage... there are times when they can be caught quickly, and in large numbers as the colder water tends to concentrate the fish. Once you locate them and zero in on their feeding times and preferences, they can come through that hole pretty durn quick.

[Leo Nguyen]

Looks like we all want to fish real bad..talk about cabin fever issues heh? LOL may want to build extended platforms during warm days for this new year so you can fish for the upcominy winter? Definitely a pain if you can fish during next winter again.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Thanks Tony, I was just curious......so this is rare to not get out on the ice.....and so many folks are reporting unsafe or no ice...hope everyone is careful out there! It's clearly another reason we haven't seen many gills posted in December and January because normally the ice fishermen would fill this winter period....

[Tony Livingston]

Nice Jim!  Man what I wouldn't give for some cold, open water...........

 

[Jim Gronaw]

Hey Tony...same gig here in the Mason Dixon area of north central Maryland. No safe ice, and calling for all in the 40's this week with some rain. Larger lakes are still open, and we have been catching carp and crappie when the weather is a little nicer. Hoping to go Tuesday and get some carp...my friend Bob got a 22 and 23 lber last week.