How Big Was This Bluegill?

Fish_N_Russ · 12-20-2003, 08:56 PM

I caught this bluegill when I was about 16 years old on a fly rod. I am about 6'2" in the picture for reference.......it wasnt until later in life that I learned bluegill didnt get that big. I have not caught that many and just wanted some ideas from folks that have caught many. Sorry for the pic quality, it was a dig pic of a regular pic.

happybrew · 12-20-2003, 09:57 PM

Looks to be about ten or eleven inches. My biggest was thirteen. They're a blast when they get that big.

happybrew

rebell · 12-21-2003, 05:47 AM

WOW! :shocked:

For a Bluegill, that's huge!!!!

Born to Fish · 12-21-2003, 05:57 AM

I used to have a honey hole just 15 miles east of Boise that routinely produced gills in the 9 to 11 inch size range. You could fill a stringer each time out, if you wanted to. Although I never caught one of their monsters it was rumored that 14 inchers were occassionally caught there. Besides that, the reservoir was being managed as a trophy bass fishery and I had many 100+ fish 1/2-day trips with fish in the 12-16-inch range.

Unfortunately, after several successive years of drought my paradise dried up and has been a dust bowl now for 3-4 years or so. Makes you want to cry.

Private-Aye-Fish · 12-21-2003, 09:08 AM

Nice Fish. 10" to 12" [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] looks right. Grew up catching those on the Willamette and in Lake Oswego, but they ran smaller but you could catch a million back them.

The life of the young bobber fisherman. A cheap Zebco, a coffee can with dirt and worms and a few bobbers. Those were the days.

Haver a great day, :smile:

Phil
Jesus hung with fishermen and so do I!

happybrew · 12-21-2003, 09:10 AM

That's why the bluegill got so big. With predation by the bass, the survivors had more food and didn't become stunted. I used to fish a lake that consistently put out 8 inch bluegill, along with the occasional really big one. It also had fine bass fishing. It was a blast on a fly in the spring.

happybrew

Gus Orviston · 12-21-2003, 10:00 AM

11-ish..10-12.. Use to catch a bunch of 11" inchers in private pond growing up. Nailed one at 13". I was sure I was going to nuture one of these boys to the record as I only caught and released. Never made it. Those are a rare and very very fund catch.

When I nailed my biggest I thought it was 6lb bass, but watching the line in the water twirl in tight circles the size of a silver dollar told me other wise. Caught him on rebel crank bait.

gus

Fish_N_Russ · 12-21-2003, 12:31 PM

Thanks for the imput. This was caught at a private pond over by Madras....the same pond produced crappie that were 10-12" as well. Unfortunately the pond was eventually poisoned because the weeds were getting out of control.

nitroduk · 01-10-2004, 04:45 PM

hey born to fish, where was it you were talking about?, and for the record the mouth of rock creek on the snake has been full of monster crappie and 'gills for the last several years, holler back..

Mojo · 01-12-2004, 05:55 PM

Fish'n'Russ, I'd say it ran about 2.5 pounds. Nice fish bro...

nitroduk and Born to Fish, there is good news. Indian Creek Reservoir may refill this year. What needs to happen is a good snow pack at middle to lower elevations along the front, with a significant warm rain event. Those aren't my words, as anyone who knows me will attest (Dean :grin: ), they came from a hydrologist I know. I hope it happens, because I love that lake.

By-the-way, there are about 500 Elk wintering just behind the weigh station, and along the flats just north of I-84 out near Indian Creek Res.

[ 01-12-2004, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: Mojo ]

outdoor.spec.ops · 01-13-2004, 08:07 AM

Nice Bluegill, But that hat is VINTAGE! :shocked: Just don't see hats like that anymore.

Akuracy503 · 01-22-2004, 06:42 AM

whoa there bluegill, looks like 13"er