Gils, what’s too big to keep?

Struggling in a moral/ethical delima.
I’ve piked a certain metro lake for years. For entertainment, I always had a sunny rod, waiting for the %flag. Never really caught any sunnies that were to brag about. Once in a blue-moon, might catch an 8 inch. The lake isn’t known for sunnies.

Well, this year, it is full of them. Caught 45 sunnies between 8.5 to 10.5 inches in 4 hours. 5 of them were between 10 to 10.5 inches.

This will be short lived, because it is only a matter of time before word gets out and the lake gets raped.

So, what does one do?
Get in while the getting is good, or catch/release just so some other person can keep what you are throwing back?

I am the type of guy who will keep the 9″-9.5″, throw back the larger ones, sometimes the old timer on a bucket will give me a strange look when releasing a big one, just makes me feel better. Had a buddy who caught a 24″ walleye, I said let me get some pics before you let her go, he about jumped out of his boots to yell “why would I let it go?” to each their own, but that size fish is the breeding stock for the jumbo’s in 4-5 years plus.

Since Dad and I were gill guys for many years, it was all about size and numbers.

He often said that a lake couldn’t be fished out of sunfish. In his later years he retracted that statement and as time went on, we started releasing the larger fish caught in a lake. He also put on a personal limit of 6 to 12 fish to take home depending on size.

Pretty big difference from the late 60’s and 70’s when it was nothing to take home 60 gills between the two of us, clean them and go back out for more. (Which BTW I just informed the FW last night is breaking the law. Her family did the same thing back then)

By taking the largest fish out of any lake a person is (mostly unwittingly) condemning the lake to smaller, stunted sunfish.

Selective harvest has proven itself time and time again. Hopefully, we don’t need dnr rules for everything.

Now, where is that “Holier than thou” forum?

So, what does one do?
Get in while the getting is good, or catch/release just so some other person can keep what you are throwing back? [/quot

I think you answered your own question.
WW

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I am the type of guy who will keep the 9″-9.5″, throw back the larger ones, sometimes the old timer on a bucket will give me a strange look when releasing a big one, just makes me feel better. Had a buddy who caught a 24″ walleye, I said let me get some pics before you let her go, he about jumped out of his boots to yell “why would I let it go?” to each their own, but that size fish is the breeding stock for the jumbo’s in 4-5 years plus.

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X2
Unless its goin on the wall, it goes back. Thats talking trophy size fish.

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Now, where is that “Holier than thou” forum?

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Jeeeeeeezuz

I think I’ll go to said lake tomorrow and pull out a limit since the lake is certain to get pounded.

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Thats the same mentality as shooting a young buck because the next guy certainly will…
The cornerstone of this website has always been selective harvest…We coined the phrase CPR (Catch Photo Release) right here years ago when guys were taking lots of spawning Walleye/Sauger out of P-4 and it helped a lot to create the great fishery it is today…
In a smaller lake or pond those big spawners can be wiped out quickly…My opinion would be a mixed catch of some 8-9 inchers and 6-8inchers for your fish fry.

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Well, this year, it is full of them. Caught 45 sunnies between 8.5 to 10.5 inches in 4 hours. 5 of them were between 10 to 10.5 inches.

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In that case I’d probably keep 1 or 2 over 9, but nothing over 10, maybe even nothing over 9.5″. But I usually keep no more than 6 in a trip, if I keep any.

Sometimes I just keep the first 6 keepers I catch, regardless of size. For ever 1 throw back that is too small, any subsequent fish that comes up that I consider above average, 9″+, gets released.

If the lake gets fished out, more than likely the meat hogs will move on. Panfish recover pretty quick as long as the pressure isn’t constant. And the lake obviously has a good ecosystem to produce big panfish as long as the pressure isn’t there.

I actually know a lake like that around here that I have been meaning to hit. Word got out on that one maybe 3-5 years ago and got fished out. Not many people are on there anymore, so I suspect that the panfish have recovered by now.

I have no idea about gill sizes, but what I’d do is keep enough fish to eat without freezing, and select the smallest eatable ones to keep. Release all the bigger ones and hopefully it will pay off with good fishing in years to come. When the fish hogs show up you’ll have to decide for yourself if you’re making a difference, but I’d argue that if you make an effort it might just help. Set a good example for the fish hogs and it might just rub off on them eventually.

A 10″ gill has earned the right to live out their life in the underwater world.

9″ gills are the perfect breeders.

The best fillet comes from the back of a 7.5″ to 8.5″ gill.

Aside from an attempt to educate, there is nothing you can do about the person sitting next to you and what he/she decides to put in the bucket so long as he/she is within the limits of the law. There is something you can do about what you put in your bucket.

I’ve come to learn from my experiences that most locals (not all ~ but most) are more apt to practice selective harvest. While visitors to the area are more apt to keep just about everything they catch.

Selective panfish harvesting is not held to the same standard as sport fish (walleye & bass). Lot more guys, locals as well as vistors are apt to toss back a 22″ walleye versus a 9″ gill.

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Selective panfish harvesting is not held to the same standard as sport fish (walleye & bass). Lot more guys, locals as well as vistors are apt to toss back a 22″ walleye versus a 9″ gill.

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Ain’t that the truth. Of all the fish resources, panfish have suffered the most when it comes to fishing pressure. Years and years of reverse selective harvest, keeping only the biggest, combined with their popularity have destroyed good panfishing.

Look at what catch and release for musky and bass fishing has done for the quality of fishing. Look at what the concept of “eater size” walleye has done for quality walleye fishing. Yet, you rarely see any “marketing” of selective harvest when it comes to panfish. It is a shame.

Big bluegills on ultralight tackle is some of the most exciting fishing there is. Not to mention, they are a beautiful fish too.

Very interesting results on the poll, in comparrison to what people are writing!
Seems those who would keep fish are afraid to post because of negative repercussions (which the hostility of some are already brewing).

I do appreciate almost everyone’s responses. It is good info.

If I were to post that I only keep the biggest and try to take home the most each time out…

1. It was my first time on a website.
2. I like getting ripped apart, chewed up and spit out like eagles to to floating saugers on P4.

Voting is anonymous and a very wise use in this instance Gary.

I’m not sure how big of a lake you are on but I know first hand that if people are not careful about what you are taking out it will eventually come to an end. I use to fish a small 1 1/2 acre pond with massive gills and a few bass and crappies too. It was a great place to take a child fishing and get them hooked on the sport. A small group of us would fish the pond but never keep anything. Well a few others got wind of this and another small group with a different mentality started fishing there as well and now that body of water sucks. Don’t rape a good thing.

If the lake isn’t receiving pressure right now, I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that it will be later. I would put the big fish back regardless of how much pressure is there. Hopefully over time the message spreads to others. You can’t stop people from keeping the big ones, but I’ve noticed a lot of people are starting to realize the positives behind letting the big ones go. As others have said, I would keep the ones from 7-8-1/2″ and let the 9+” fish go.

Very excited to see this discussed! Science has shown that releasing larger bluegills is the way to go to maintain quality bluegill fishing. Below are three articles that really demonstrate why releasing larger BG is so important.

Basically…. If you keep the larger males, the smaller males sexually mature more quickly to fill the void, and divert energy into reproducing rather than growing. For bluegills, keeping smaller fish is PREFERRED!

If a lake is left undisturbed from angling, the environment favors bigger bluegills because they have an overall reproductive advantage. Bigger males get the best nesting spots, are better at defending the nest, etc. When they are harvested, that’s when conditions favor smaller fish filling the void.

What others outlined above are probably good targets… keep those fish 7-8″. Let those fish 9″ and bigger go. Nothing wrong with doing that – in fact, it should be applauded, not looked down upon for keeping “small” fish. I hope someday many more anglers feel this!

A Comparison of Bluegill Reproductive Strategies and Growth among Lakes with Different Fishing Intensities

Male Reproductive Competition and Sex-Specific Growth Patterns in Bluegill

A Comparison of Bluegill Reproductive Strategies and Growth among Lakes with Different Fishing Intensities

i release anything 9 and over. now, i’m not catching 9+” gills often, but when i do, i’m not keeping them. i’ll keep some 6’s but mostly 7-8″‘s will go in the bucket. i’ve never caught enough for keeping too many to be a dilemma.

its tough releasing bigger fish while the guy next to you is throwing them in the bucket. but i think its important.

Awesome thread! Thanks for posting Gary…

My best friend told me once that “They didn’t save any buffalo for me”

Personally I’m a catch and release guy which tears me up when I’m pulling huge crappies from deep water on Rainy Lake. The mortality rate from deep water is sky high no matter what tricks you try. Everything goes in the bucket from 30+ feet

I would maybe keep one over 10.5″ for a mount but with replica’s now not sure I would even do that. Last weekend I caught a 10 1/4″ and kept it due to a tournament, otherwise it would have swam away

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Very interesting results on the poll, in comparrison to what people are writing!
Seems those who would keep fish are afraid to post because of negative repercussions (which the hostility of some are already brewing).

I do appreciate almost everyone’s responses. It is good info.

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I voted Yes on #1 and No on #2. It was the way it was worded. I also struggled thinking that saying yes to #1 might give people the impression it is ok to keep them, especially if it got way more votes. That’s because people seeing lots of yes vote to #1 will get the mentality of either everyone is doing it or if I don’t, someone else will.

My yes vote to #1 was just being honest to the way it was worded. If you asked is it ok to keep all gills over 9″, I would have voted no. But as I stated before, I might keep 1 out of the 6 I normally keep if it is between 9-9.5″.

I would not keep the first 9″+ fish for sure. If I started catching as many or more 9″+ fish than smaller ones, I’ll keep 1 or 2 preferably as close to 9″ as possible, once I have established that there are a good population of them. But I like to catch quite a few before deciding on keeping a bigger one.

Gary – I responded as a “kill them while you can” type of guy….

In the mtero region, I would wager that if you quit fishing altogether, in two years the lake would be back to normal.

I would say to make hay while the sin shines. Just like URL….the panny population was a flash-in-the-pan…. not taking them is a not a preservative.

Tim

Out of the hundreds of gills I’ve caught in the last 4 years, from the Mississippi/Wisconsin River, through the ice or open water I have caught exactly four from 10 to 10 3/8″ which tells me they are pretty rare, all were released. I just cannot turn a 9+ inch gill, a 13+ in crappie, or a perch over 14″ into filets when there are plenty of smaller fish to eat.

Duke

Thanks for all of the replies.
It is an anomaly for the lake. All the history never showed the bluegill population like this. I don’t know if I hit a nomad school or if the past 12 months of goofy weather made this happen?

But whatever happened, these fish are the biggest bluegills I’ve ever caught on a consistent manner.

So you only got into them 1 time out and out have only hit it once?