Bluegills on the beds

[fitnessman]

I know they are called different things around the states, Bream, Sunnies and so on.

Here in Ohio there three main types:

True Bluegill, Red ear sunfish (the largest) and hybrid Bluegill (there are a few other sub species, but for the most part the above three are it).

Today I was blessed with being able to take my eldery Father wading for Bluegill with our Flyrods. I picked him up @ 0500 this morning. It is a long walk to the area I fish, away from others, and I swear I am the only one who hits this area.

We had to stop a few times on the way so Dad could rest. He isn't able to fish much anymore, with a number of health problems.

We waded out thigh deep and with the first series of cast, my Father landed a nice 10" Gill. It was as if before my eyes I saw 20 years of age fall of him.

We took 40 or so home and I cleaned them for him and my Mother.

Tomorrow I will take my 6yo son to this same area.

This is why I fish.

[USN1981]

thats awesome man, i'm 24 yrs old and far away from home now, but i remember going with my dad when bream would be on the beds in florida. it's usually the whole month of april there, good times though, it would be nonstop reeling in those fish, the only reason we would leave is because the cooler would be full.

good story, i enjoyed reading that.

[USN1981]

by-the-by, 10" is a HUGE bluegill, hopefully you guys mounted that one

do you have any pics from this trip or others?

[fitnessman]

Thank you for reading

I have a 12" Gill on my wall. I have it posted here in this forum under the thread title Mounts.

I would post a link, but my computer is being goofy.

[AK-Grinds]

nothing like spending time with the old man out on the lake.

Also nothing like catching a buttload of bluegill and bringing them back to clean/eat

My old mans and alcoholic, but when we fish its one of the few times he can be happy without alcohol

[fitnessman]

Another great day of Bluegill fishing. Took my 6yo son Dominic to the same area. He just had a blast!

30 sitting in the sink for me to clean, all in the 8-10" range. Fresh fish and taters for supper tonight.

it's nice to teach what my father taught me to my son.

[King Crush]

I've cought some blue gill before. There's not much to 'em.

[Chipman]

I have a couple of ultralight spincast rigs that I keep just for those little monsters.

There is a huge pond about a mile from me just full of them. They will often bed up in the shallows of one end, so I found some very small top water jigs that make em go crazy. What a ride.

[skinnyme]

I've cought some blue gill before. There's not much to 'em.

Yeah, but they are some of the best freshwater eating there is. I leave mine whole, and you can just peel the meat off the bones after you cook them. I do prefer my crappie filets, but gills rank right next to 'em in my book.

BTW, great story fitnessman. I can remember many good fishing trips with my dad before he died. I think about him every time I get my line wet. I just took my two year old daughter this weekend for a little dock fishing. It makes all the hassle worthwhile just get see her get so excited over helping reel in a fish. She always has to 'pet' it before I put it back in the water.

[Nainoa]

Another great day of Bluegill fishing. Took my 6yo son Dominic to the same area. He just had a blast!

30 sitting in the sink for me to clean, all in the 8-10" range. Fresh fish and taters for supper tonight.

it's nice to teach what my father taught me to my son.

I don't know what it is... There's just something about Pan fishing that is fun...

Sure there's not a lot of glory in it... I mean even a monster Blue Gill isn't going to compare to catching a big Walleye/pike/musky or even bass...

You know what it's almost like...

It's like when you were a kid... And they had those strange coin funnels... You Drop a Penny through a slot and it SSSSSSSsssssllllllllooooooowwwwwllllllyyy Spins around-&-around... Till it finally zings down the whole... And once it was done, you'd drop another penny in, and do it all over again... And if your parents weren't about to leave the store, you would just keep doing it...

That's what Pan fishing feels like to me...

Even this weekend after getting my ass kicked Musky fishing... I got to dusk, and I zipped over to a quiet back bay, and set up catching Sunnies.
Blue Gills, Pumpkin Seeds are the two most prevalent, but Greens and a Great deal of Hybrids are starting to become more common on the waters I frequent.