Thanks Dale,

I am not much of a river fisherman. I plan on trying the 3-way method on some of the lakes I fish in mid-summer. I am thinking maybe for trolling the basins for walleyes. Many of our local lakes around Hutchinson, the walleye bite is non-existent come July and August. I think it is because people don’t like to fish in heavy weeds or the walleyes are now roaming the basins and many people don’t fish them.

I want to try and dial them in this summer. I know those fish are still active, but just need to pattern them. Any thoughts? I will also try more leadcore fishing.

Adam

How long of a leader do you use for the crank bait and what pound test do you use normally?

Hey Q,

In my opinion, we are in the best month of the year for an outdoorsman. Hunting and fishing at its best. Wish I could make it out there this fall, but vacation is limited for me. Keep slammin and living the bachelor dream!

Adam

Took my kids out this past Sunday and boated a bunch of nice eater size crappies. My 7 year old caught his first crappies jigging. I was a proud dad. I love to jig fish and look forward to teaching my kids the same.

Sure beat watching the crappy Vikings. We were the only boat on the lake.

Adam

Thanks for clarifying.

MN DNR and certain Lake Associations are doing some regulation on lakes that historically produce Big Gills. I do beleive a statewide regulation for bluegills would not work.

My main point of this whole subject was about educating anglers on what a mature Bluegill looked like and why those should be released.

It is more about self regulation when an angler is on the water. I just want anglers to know more about this topic. The research behind this topic is sound and proven.

I am not asking for more special regulations. Just trying to educate and spread the word.

So if you guys beleive in this, please pass on the information to all fisherpersons that you know.

Thanks!

Adam

I see where you are coming from Joel, but killing all big bluegills isn’t going to help the situation either. It is ok to release a few of these big Gills guys. Not sure why we cant show the Big Gill more respect.

Maybe I should start carving up all walleyes over 20 inches. Same principal here. Not every lake can produce trophy walleyes, but we still manage them to protect those mature fish.

As far as keeping smaller fish like 6.75 inchers to eat is just fine for me. At a fish fry, which fillets are the first ones to get gobbled up, you guessed it, the smaller ones. I have no problem keeping that size gill, or 8 inch crappies, or 13 inch walleyes.

I keep enough for a meal and don’t go back to the same lake 10 times in a row either. I like to eat fish and prefer smaller.

Adam

Well said!!!!

That is exactly what I am striving for. I just want to people to conserve the resource instead of pillaging it. We all can keep some Gills, but be smart about it.

Adam

The comment I hear the most from people is “If I don’t keep them someone else will.”

I could puke if I hear that one again.

I just want people to treat the bluegill like any other fish and release these mature fish and give the lake the best chance possible at growing more quality gills. To me a quality gill is 8 inches or better. The keepers for me are 6.75 inches to just under 8 inches.

Adam

I respectfully disagree with your take Kevin.

If you think humans don’t have a huge effect on bluegill size in our local lakes, you are sadly mistaken.

There have been many studies on this subject. Do the research and you will know what the truth is.

I do agree that other factors can play a role with bluegill size. I eluded to it in other posts.

Humans are the biggest problem when it comes to our ecosystem.

You don’t think 200 fish houses on a lake in the winter has an effect on a lakes ecosystem. Especially on a lake less then 1000 acres.

If you want true trophy bluegills over 10 inches, you can’t keep every 8 and 9 incher you catch. Yeah, some will slip through, but if word gets out that there is a bite of 8 inch sunfish around the cities, the lake gets pounded. If more guys do selective harvest and release some of the mature fish, the lake has a chance to grow bigger gills and have a well balanced population structure.

Again, do the research.

Adam

There is a big relationship with lakes with big gills and largemouth bass. Lakes with a healthy population of largemouth bass tend to have large gills because the bass will keep the small sunfish from getting over populated. Which gives the remaining gills less competition for food and therefore have a chance to get large.

I would safely bet that 90% of big Gill lakes have a good population of bass. A largemouth bass will eat sunfish up to 1/3 of their size. So a 15 inch bass will eat a gill up to 5 inches. I release all bass, but if I were to keep one it would be a larger one because I don’t want them to eat bigger sunfish. I wish I had my own pond to manage. I would have monster gills in it.

Adam

Good morning,

I have attached photos of bluegills to help everybody know the difference and which ones to keep and let go.

A mature male is the easiest to figure out. That is picture number 1. This fish has a large ear flap or ear tab, black in color and extended posteriorly (tailward). Vivid coloration and burgundy colors on breast. Lots of black tips on scales. Males have the black tips on scales. Very important to let these go!!

Picture 2: Here’s a mature female bluegill. It’s a large mature fish. Much shorter ear tab, yellowy colored breast. No black spots on side scales. Also important to let go!!

Picture 3: Now here’s where it gets a little tricky. This is a smaller fish but is still a mature female with eggs. Still has a short ear tab and yellow coloration on breast. This is one to keep.

Picture 4: But this is a mature, smaller male bluegill that may be acting as a “sneaker” or “cuckholder”. The coloration is much more drab, the ear tab isn’t as big, but he can’t quite hide the slightly longer ear tab.

He is using the muted color and smaller stature to be able to hang around Mr. Big Boy’s nest without being attacked. When the female moves in to lay the eggs he sneaks out of the weeds and “provides a little genetic information”. These are the ones we need to be keeping!! They are the fish that spread their smaller genetics.

I will keep gills as small as 6.75 inches up to 8 inches, but will release those mature fish.

My goal of this topic is to educate fellow fisherman. Even the most avid fisherman, don’t know this info. I am hoping that we can spread the word and educate others.

No show I have watched goes into this kind of detail and I think they need too.

The big Gill gets very little respect in the fishing world, but we all long for those days when we used to catch dinner plate gills years ago.

Spread the word guys and lets make it an unwritten rule to do this, just like with other species. Lots of guys release walleyes over 18 inches and keep smaller ones to eat. Same principal here.

Adam

Nice fish Loren!

Were you guys trolling or casting? What depths were you working?

Adam