What a couple nice sunfish. These were caught in AZ. Think this size could exist around here? Might be looking at a new state record with one of these. 
February 28, 2007 at 10:48 pm
#1317998
13 3/4 inch sunfish!
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February 28, 2007 at 10:56 pm #542968
One of those would be really fun at the end of you line and an ultralight!
February 28, 2007 at 10:57 pm #542969Nice fish
Make for a nice pair of wall hangers!!February 28, 2007 at 10:57 pm #542970Are those Redears? They look HUGE!!
February 28, 2007 at 10:57 pm #542971wow! those are some big sun fish! wish i could get one that size
February 28, 2007 at 11:02 pm #542976They are nice sunfish Mike! I’ve heard the redear sunfish often reaches nice size. Just outside of town here theres an aqua farm that raises hybrids and i’ve heard from a guy who had his pond stocked with hybrids that they reach the size of dinner plates. Ive never seen one of these size fish but i don’t doubt thier size. Maybe a trip too the aqua farm is instore when it gets warm. How’d you like to have a chain stringer full of those with 2 too a clip like in the picture!
February 28, 2007 at 11:03 pm #542977Holy!!! I mean…that’s nuthin’. I’ve caught fish like that out of the Zumbro..
February 28, 2007 at 11:06 pm #542979Yes, they are redear sunfish. I can’t imagine a sunfish that big, but over the years I have had a few guys swear that they have caught a 14 inch sunfish in MN. I’ve never seen anything in MN bigger than an 11 inch bluegill, and that was truely huge – can’t imagine a sunfish that would be almost another 3 inches bigger!
February 28, 2007 at 11:43 pm #543013 WOW March 1, 2007 at 12:16 am #543035Here’s the full thread. Our own Kent Hollands from the Red River made the top 25 catch and release photos in this contest.
Catch and Release Photo Contest<<<
Funny thing is, I’m not a member and I could vote.
Way to go Kent!
March 1, 2007 at 12:23 am #543038 
March 1, 2007 at 12:34 am #543045Holy Snikies!!!
That would be a blast on an ultralite!!!!
March 1, 2007 at 1:15 am #543062Happy B-DAY Brad!
March 1, 2007 at 1:53 am #543096if i knew where that was last summer when i was in AZ maybe i could have caught one of them
March 1, 2007 at 3:03 am #543131Those bellys remind me of bass. Those are huge fish. Boy would they be fun on ultralight rods.
Thanks, BillMarch 1, 2007 at 3:35 am #543152Mike, were gonna get some of those Sunday right?
March 1, 2007 at 4:47 am #543191Now thats what I call a PAN fish!
March 1, 2007 at 3:41 pm #543293Holy Jumpin’ up and down!!!!!
March 1, 2007 at 9:35 pm #543488Ah ain’t nothing, I catch 16 inch blue gills on a regular basis with Mike/HOF. Just kidding. Man those are some nice ones. Am happy with the 8’s and occasional 9’s we manage to land.
March 1, 2007 at 11:00 pm #543521I imagine a 13.75” gill must put up a terrific fight.
I have fished on and off for pan fish much of my life, plus I fish Lake Zumbro twice a week from July-Sept. I have never yet got a 10” gill into the boat – although attempting to swing in the big gills (no net) has reduced my odds more than once.
I am still planning on going after that elusive 10” gill this year and have been told by a reliable source that there are occasional 10” gills in Lake Zumbro. Has anyone ever got them that big, or even bigger?
Dave Gulczinski
March 1, 2007 at 11:10 pm #543526They’re there
March 1, 2007 at 11:11 pm #543528Yes Dave, there are 10’s in Zumbro. Not lots but if you time it right during the spawn, they are there.
We let them go because we figure they are the brood stock for the future.
Mike and I kid each other, we call a 10, the $250 fish, cause that is what it will cost to mount it.
For eating, I will take all the 7 1/2’s.March 2, 2007 at 1:13 am #543604The state record hybrid sunfish came from the Zumbro. I know Dan Theim got a 10+ inch gill this winter. My largest this winter is 9 1/2 inches, but I have only been out there 2 times this winter. I have caught 3 gills last year that were right at the 10 inch mark. They are certainly there, and very likely there are some much larger than 10 inches. What do the other guys that fish Zumbro have to say?
March 2, 2007 at 2:32 am #543656Just an observation…..I’ve noticed a increase in size and numbers of gills on Zumbro during the last couple of years. Twice in the last two years have produced a couple fish very, very close to the ten inch mark. Only one for me has been over ten. That was this year.
I also think Chester has the potential to give up gills over ten. Last year during an RAF event I caught a 10+ incher.
March 2, 2007 at 2:36 am #543662Every gill I catch from Chester goes back since every gill has worms
There are some nice gills there Chris
March 2, 2007 at 5:31 am #543774How about backwaters around Wabasha? Anyone care to give opinions on trophy gill potential in these waters? Ive gotten some just over 9″ but thats were they seem to max out. Zumbro ive gotten one true 10″ that hit a smallie tube last summer. I release all over 8.5″.
March 3, 2007 at 4:11 am #544168I also release all over 8.5 inches. I’ve gotten 2 or 3 in the spring that went 10+. Sure glad to hear others also practice selective harvest.
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