Bluegill - Big Bluegill

Do you love big bluegill?

I stumbled across this site thanks to Dave Merical. I live in Sarasota, FL where I'm a professional outdoor writer and kayak fishing guide. Most of my guiding takes place on saltwater, although I do a few freshwater trips per year.

When I get a chance to go alone or with friends, I like to go to Lake Manatee, which is a 2,500-acre lake about 30 minutes from the house. There's never very many boats on the lake and I often feel as if it's my private lake.

I always fly fish and I catch lots of bluegill, bass, shellcracker, speckled perch, stumpknocker and channel catfish.

My flies of choice include No. 10 poppers, No. 10 or No. 12 gold beadhead nymphs and my Myakka Minnow. I like using poppers, but when that bites slows I just go subsurface and find it more productive on most days.

Another think I like to do is drive to the Everglades and fish for oscars, Mayan cichlids and peacock bass.

Hope I can learn from this site and contribute.

Views: 137

Attachments:

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Thanks for joining the site, Steve. My favorite thing in the world to do (outside of fishing) is writing about fishing. I think ultimately this site is going to be a great scientific reference, but also a place to sit down and have a good read. Can't wait to get further acquainted. :)

Bruce

P.S. I love doing things with my wife and girls, but that's on a different "favorite thing to do" list.
Hello, Steve!
I give Scott Kershaw credit for directing me here! The world keeps getting smaller! Hopefully, the bluegills will just be getting BIGGER!
I was talking to David Merical earlier and I am very interested in taking one of these guided fishing trips for oscars, mayan cichlids and peacock bass. I think this is an amazing combo of fish and would be a blast of a fishing trip. Thank you for joining the site. Feel free asking question and posting pictures, we love pictures. Happy fishing partner.
Welcome Steve, I go to several fishing sites, but wehn it comes to gills, there isn't a site out there that can beat this one!!!
Welcome Steve

RSS

Latest Activity

Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
11 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
11 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
11 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"Another beautiful late winter day….new river today….63 degree surface temperatures..five degrees less than yesterday’s water …"
11 hours ago
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

A lot of Small Buck Bass Today…..3/9/2026

A lot of aggressive bass made for tight lines…
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a status
"After a week long vacation to South Carolina and Georgia….drove home this morning and rolled in around 1, it was 80 degrees, I went fishing"
yesterday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Great Scene Yesterday…Common Loons Feeding in the Fog….3/6/2026

"The male is in the distance with the white chest….dark brown female closest bird to the…"
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Great Scene Yesterday…Common Loons Feeding in the Fog….3/6/2026

"Notice the channel marker in the distance……these loons were diving in 55 feet of…"
Sunday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Great Scene Yesterday…Common Loons Feeding in the Fog….3/6/2026

"One of the classic sounds of nature …….the call of the loon……..close…"
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Started At Night …..3/6/2026

"This was my first herring drop ………had the pole in a holder and the stripers…"
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Started At Night …..3/6/2026

"It was a good time, I used to fish at night in Louisiana and South Carolina to beat the…"
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Cookie Cutter….20 Pound Class Blue…..3/6/2026

"Thanks John….only caught one of the blue cats on live blueback herring….the rest were…"
Saturday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Saturday
John Sheehan commented on Jeffrey D. Abney's photo
Thumbnail

Started At Night …..3/6/2026

"Sounds like a great adventure!"
Saturday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted a photo

Started At Night …..3/6/2026

Fog bank around us, couldn’t see fifty feet but the stripers were chewing under the bright moon…..
Friday
Jeffrey D. Abney posted photos
Friday

© 2026   Created by Bluegill.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service