A good insight to bluegill fishing in Minnesota!

[Patrick "Bullworm" Olson]

Minnesota Gills!

I am one of these "cult members"! Things in Minnesota are starting to really turn around as far as big gill awareness since this article was penned. We still need more action though. I would love to see a state wide protected slot on gills and crappies!

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Good article Bullworm.....interesting perspective......What are the current regulations in Minnesota in regards to Bluegill and Crappie?

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Nice, Patrick. Wish I could find some secret spots in my end of South Carolina.

Where I can set up a comfortable chair, cook lunch and hang a hammock in a tree, too. I mean we gotta keep it real.

[Tony Livingston]

Excellent article, it's encouraging to see the rest of the world's eyes start to open regarding this fish, and its susceptibility to overharvest.

I love that line by Bro'  "It's difficult to fish down numbers, but easy to fish down size"

I tell my buddies: "I'm not trying to fill the freezer, just tonight's skillet"

[Anthony Palafox]

wow cool read, makes me feel fortunate to have a lake like Perris where large gills roam and is a short drive from home.

[Jim Gronaw]

The article by Vick is absolute dead-on truth. I see nothing wrong with keeping a hard-earned, well deserved trophy of your descretion,  for that lifetime mount.  And I love a platter of fresh gill fillets as much as anybody, a meal fit for a king! But once an angler has the skills to consistantly catch top-end, adult-sized panfish, he or she should start thinking seriously about conservation and future fishing. I have seen at least 4 local lakes that have been adversely affected, decimated, by the continual overharvest of the biggest bluegills in each system, and all 4 of them have yet to recover to this day. And three of those four lakes have a 'lake record' that exceeded 2 pounds, absolutely huge for Mid-Atlantic waters.

I like Zigs perspective on keeping fish for the pan...he likes 7.5 to 8.5 inchers for the skillet. And if you are fishing a lake or river that has a large population of 9 plus inchers, then you may keep a few of those as well.

Every body of water is different, and common sense and harvest rates should prevail. But make no doubt about it...the top tier size structure of bluegills, crappies and perch are among the most vulnerable species to suffer from overharvest.

RELEASING TOP END, GIANT PANFISH IS TRUELY THE 'FINAL FRONTIER' IN FRESHWATER CATCH AND RELEASE ANGLING!

I guess I'm part of the cult as well!

[Greg McWilliams]

Great Article!!!!! I live in a state with no limit on BlueGill!!!! They are considered a trash fish except for trotlines or limb lines!!!!!! Catfish are one of the target fish in Ok.!!!!! I don't understand it but that is the way it is!!!!  Actually Greensunfish are the prize bait for flathead catfish!!!!!

The other target of Ok. is largmouth bass, where Bluegill are cussed for taking the lure!!!!!!!! But information is easily gleaned from them about where they catch  BLUEGILL!!!!! They usually just look at me funny when I ask!!!! I have introduced several flyrodders to BLUEGILL, but just to let them get the feel of a bent rod!!!!!! Their goal is still bass!!!

Yall up NORTH have a great fisherie, one that I hope to visit some SUMMER!!!!!

[JBplusThuy]

Japan is like that, too. They view bluegill as a trash fish and actually want to try and find some way to eradicate them. Good luck with that :-)

Of course, bluegill are why bass get so big in Japan.  If the next world record LMB doesn't come out of California, it may well come from Biwa-ko.

One of the most beautiful lakes I've ever fished is Sagami-ko, not to far outside of Tokyo.

I've caught a few bass there, although nothing large. If it has bluegill, I never saw one.

Jonathan

[Patrick "Bullworm" Olson]

Thanks everybody for the nice comments! It seems everyday I try to educate fellow anglers that a 10" plus bluegill in Minnesota is just as hard to come by as a 8 pound walleye! Very few agaree. I think the mentality is still "its just a bluegill". I think some of these people are used to seeing 2-5 inch gills, "the ones around the dock", and when they hook into a 10" class fish, they immediately think.."WOW! One we can eat!" That sends shivers up my spine! We gillers are a one man army! I don't shame anyone for eating them, heck I do from time to time! But, what I would like see is a more respect of the big bluegill, just like the beloved 8 plus pound walleye, the 10 plus pound bass! I feel that it is my responsiblity to help show the respect of a true trophy gill.