I’ve noticed a lot of people have different opinions about what a big bluegill is. For me I’d say 10″ inches. My biggest one is 11.5 inches, but I’ve heard people saying that in Minnesota 8 inches is huge, probably because most people are generally fishing more pressured, more popular waters than I do. What would you all say?
10″ + for me and I’m one happy guy!
Beauty is in the eye of the gill-holder. 
10″ + for me and I’m one happy guy!
Beauty is in the eye of the gill-holder.
LOL. So true
10″+
Excuse me while I whip this out! 10″
I’ve never ever bothered to measure one but my gauge to release them is when their forehead area looks like it is going to burst open!
The ones you can’t get your hand around, the ones with “shoulders”. I’ve had the privilege of catching a few of those monsters with a light fly rod. Huge fun!
S.R.
North American In Fisherman Master Angler says a trophy bluegill in this region is 11 inches or 2.0 pounds. That’s probably a fair assessment, although its pretty rare to get one that’s even 8 or 9 inches nowadays.
I tend to notice once they are 9″+ but would say 10″ is a good benchmark.
10″ is getting to be special. This one was just under 12″ and released. Sorry no tape pic…..
IMG_20190308_181416509.jpg
Wow, what a beast
Too bad people don’t release them more, they would be so much bigger. I’ll let anything over 8 go.
New question: Has anyone ever made one of your aforementioned large bluegill look as big in a picture? I swear when I lay one on my hand for context the picture always makes it look smaller.
New question: Has anyone ever made one of your aforementioned large <em class=”ido-tag-em”>bluegill look as big in a picture? I swear when I lay one on my hand for context the picture always makes it look smaller.[/quote
They do that a lot, no clue why. It usually looks better when you just grab them by their belly, like the 11.5″ gill in my profile picture. Then you don’t have to worry about the hand.
10″ is my benchmark for a big gill!
I never measure them but when the fillet fits perfectly in my little 9″ frying pan them are nice ones.
Just kidding. Only ever caught a couple 10″ers and ive fished a lot so I would say I would consider 10″ big.
New question: Has anyone ever made one of your aforementioned large <em class=”ido-tag-em”>bluegill look as big in a picture? I swear when I lay one on my hand for context the picture always makes it look smaller.
You can’t go wrong with a pic on a tape- ever. No camera tricks needed, no make up, no holding it out, etc. I’d rather see a fish on a tape than a bragging selfie any day of the year. Some people fish for fish and some people fish for attention.
I tend to notice once they are 9″+ but would say 10″ is a good benchmark.
I’d agree with this and I’m lucky to have caught a bunch of 9″+ gills in my life, think my biggest is around 10.5″ though.
When they are big enough to hit, and stay hooked up, to a shad rap or husky jerk. 
The ones you can’t get your hand around, the ones with “shoulders”.
We would catch em on a certain lake that had hump heads. Literally muscle coming up would be bumped up just past their head.
Those things would put a twist on your line coming up!
I asked my dad what he thought. He said sunnies around here are all deformed cause “their heads to close to their tail.”
Any sunfish 10″ or bigger I put back. The smaller ones taste better to me anyway.
I catch a few 10″ gills every summer. My buddy caught one just under 12″ this summer while we were trolling #5 hornets.
When they are big enough to hit, and stay hooked up, to a shad rap or husky jerk.
Didn’t measure but this one went 8.5″-9″, got about 10-12 of these one morning this June mixed in with eyes and perch pulling #4’s and #5’s. NE SD and western MN have lots of big gills if you know where to look.
crankbait-gill.jpg
10″ is the benchmark for a really nice gill, but I get pretty excited just to find a pile of 8.5-9″ers thru the ice.
I’ve found big bluegill pretty much everywhere that isn’t super pressured. The main problem is people keeping the big ones.
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