Was able to finally get out on safe ice here in Northern IL. Over 3 days we kept at least 60 panfish. A majority of those being bluegills. I was lucky enough to reel in this bull gill. I mean just look at how big the ear is. Measured 11″
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Got a pumpkinseed in a metro lake that was 10”
That is a beast! my personal best is 10.5in from Lake Geneva (5 or 6 yrs ago)
She keeps telling me size doesn’t matter. But boy am I jealous!
10.5 for me as well.
But dang that’s one nice sunny. I want one
Metro Gill 10”. Caught a couple that big
11 3/4 bluegill. From a little lake in east central mn. That was about 6 or 8 years ago now. I had a picture of it one time. After a couple of moves I doubt I’d ever find it again. Man, that thing was a slob!
Hoping someday I can go up to Minnesota and fish for some gills and crappies. I’d like to go to some Northern WI waters too. Being from Northwestern IL there aren’t too many places to fish other than backwaters and private lakes. I caught that gill out of a private lake. That lake is by far the best panfish lake we have around here. Average 8.5-9″ gills and 11-12″ Crappies. Your guaranteed a 10″ gill every ice season. You’ll usually catch a couples 10s during first ice. I’ve caught two 14″ crappies the past two years. Last winter some guys caught 18-19″ crappies on a kastmaster spoon! I saw the pictures. Hoping I’ll get lucky and snag one this winter. It’s crazy because its only a 420 acre lake. However it’s the second biggest lake in our area.
12.25” measured, pictured from a lake in Ely, caught by a Tuskegee airman named Joe. He taught me ways to learn a tough lake.
3 years ago on a private pond in Northeast Iowa caught a 12″. State record is 12.9 (unreal). My good buddy caught a 11 3/4″ last year out of the same pond pictured below. A few years before that he pulled a 16″ crappie out and I pulled a 17.5″ out right after pictured below. Don’t catch a ton of fish at the pond but when we do you can plan on quality. Always a fun time.
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Those are some toads. Always a nice surprise getting a nice slab crappie and thinking it’s a bass. Here’s another picture of what this lake produces caught this female last ice season. 10.75″.
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Love private ponds…only way to catch a trophy these days unless you can fish for a living. I have never broke 10″ but got 3 over 9″ in one night that ended up as an awesome mount. I got one lake that will pump out a trophy crappie in the next 2 years…I just hope no one beats me to it. I’ve got into many big fish in my days but I have a soft spot in my heart for those hubcaps! Nice fish guys
10.5″.
Very nice pics in here. I wish I had one to share of that fish.
The Gill in my profile picture is 11.25″
It was actually this ice season about 3 weeks ago. South Metro lake, 10.5″.
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Are we talking pet fish in a pond or an actual lake? 
Any gill over 10″ from a public lake in my book is a special one. Nice work guys. 11″ fish is just a dream for most what a beast!
Still trying to get one over 10.5. someday maybe. 
Anything 9 plus gets released so I better my odds.
I’ve hit 11″ in western MN, lots of nice bluegills on the prairie if you can find them. Two pics from out there that I can find on my phone quick, the pretty one on the ice was 8.5″-9″ and the bump board fish was 10.25″ while pulling spinners on a weedline.
Keep the pics coming, love to see big bluegills.
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The last one I caught.
In-Fisherman ranks a “trophy” sunfish as 11 inches in the Midwest. Its no wonder there’s very few large panfish left. The amount of fish being harvested is completely out of control. That is obvious based solely on the photos and posts just in this thread.
Caught/released an 11 last weekend. Bit a tingler spoon tipped with minnow head in 9fow
My personal best I don’t have a pic of as I caught it over 20 years ago on a 7” power worm on a 5/0 widegap hook. Thought I had a 4-5 lb bass but it ended up being a 12”+ gill in full spawn colors (which meant it was almost totally black lol). It was caught in a pond in front of an office building in the Chicago suburbs. I’ve caught and released many 10-10.5” gills since but when I pulled the pictured 10.75” fish throuh the ice last week I kept it and it’s at the taxidermist now. I haven’t seen a gill with these proportions in 20 years!!
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In-Fisherman ranks a “trophy” sunfish as 11 inches in the Midwest. Its no wonder there’s very few large <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>panfish left. The amount of fish being harvested is completely out of control. That is obvious based solely on the photos and posts just in this thread.
Sadly, we didn’t have much choice other than to keep the fish we caught these past few days. We were fishing in 30+ feet of water.
First fish I caught last winter
10.75. Waiting to get it back from the taxidermist.
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I mean a 
