What is a Good Keeper Bluegill

[Greg Hunsicker]

What are the best sizes to keep for eating? I like mine fillet and fried, what else?

[Big Bad Wulff]

Will this do :

[url=http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q11/bigbadwulff/fish%20pictures/DSC00873.jpg:66e5a][/url:66e5a]

[crazy4oldcars]

I generally keep 6 to 7" gills. Smaller than that take too many to fill up the family. If I'm catching a bunch of bigguns ( up to 9 or 10 inches) I may keep the last 1 or 2 for supper.

Kirk

[Joe Hyde]

Hey Greg,


I do the same as crazy4oldcars. At least, I think I do; it isn't often I actually measure a bluegill on my canoe hull markers. 'Gills are real upset at being caught and inside my boat they will flop around loudly if I lay them on the hull. I don't like hearing all that racket, it makes me afraid that the fish in lake are hearing it and will be spooked. So once I hoist the son of a guns on board I eyeball them and if they look eatable sizewise I just drop them into my ice chest and make the next cast.

One thing I run into every now and then is a bluegill that fights hard and shows an impressive profile once it's in your hand, but when you get that same fish home and start to clean it you discover that it's got hardly any meat on its bones at all. Has this ever happened to you? It's like the fish is wasting away or something. Even the flesh is soft, almost turning to mush. Very strange.

I don't understand what causes this condition, but I've learned to inspect 'gills a bit closer before putting them in the ice chest. What I do is hold the fish in an orientation that lets me look straight down at the dorsal fin; I'm checking for a good, healthy thickness across the back. If you spot that thickness, it's surprising how much meat you can get off a 6-inch bluegill. Even a 5-incher is a good one to keep for the table if it's a thick-bodied fish.

For me, a lot of the keeper size issue depends on how big the fish are running that day, also on how hungry I am for a fish fry (or how hungry my friends are). When the action is slow the only thing to do is to think long term by accumulating fillets in your freezer one ziploc bag at a time. If you only catch five keepers, for instance, then keep 'em, fillet 'em and freeze 'em. Next trip out, add another bag or two to your freezer stash. Eventually you'll have a stash sizeable enough for a serious fish fry.


Joe
"Better small than not at all."

[bowfin47]

Big enough to fillet.

[parrotheadcrb]

In a pond or small lake if you will start keeping and cleaning some of the smaller ones you will notice that the others start getting bigger over time. Less pressure and more food for the bigger ones.

[ohiotuber]

Joe,
I have also experienced what you have regarding large gills/disappointing fillets. Those firm, fat 6 & 7 inchers tend to provide a meatier & firmer fillet. I also have no idea why, but those smallish gills sure do provide some dandy eating!
Mike

[white43]

IT's been so long I could eat one raw! Size would not be an issue! JGW

[OldBaldGuy]

Here in Nebraska, our Game & Parks Division has a "Master Angler" program that recognizes trophy fish of each species with a nice little certificate.

For bluegill, the minimum size to qualify is either 10" long or one pound. Bluegills that size are not common around here. The typical bluegill caught in most Nebraska waters may not be much more than 6" long.

My feeling is that a 9" bluegill has a much greater chance of achieving 10" in its lifetime than a 6- or 7-incher. I want that 9-incher's superior genes to remain in the gene pool as long as possible. So, a couple of times a year, when I harvest a few 'gills to eat, I'll take home the ones 6-8 inches long and leave the big girls there to breed.

Last night, in two hours after supper, I caught and released 22 that were 9+ inches. I'll be bragging about that evening for a long time.

[Gandolf]

Hi Greg,

I think ones 7" to 8" are great.

My daughter showed me how to bake them. Dry the fillets with a paper towel. Aluminum foil a pan, spray with a small amount of spray butter on the foil and spread around with a paper towel. Add fillets, spray fillets with a VERY light coat of spray butter. Put on some spice of choice. I like lemon pepper on some, and usually put dill weed on others. (Spice is up to you, sage sometimes I think.)

Put in the oven at 400 degrees or so (I think), bake about 15 min on one side, and flip the fillets. Bake on the other side until done. (I like them well done.)

Not as good as coated with meal and fried, but very good indeed, and much better for you.

Friend Guy's neighbor was fishing yesterday, but only caught one crappie, but a really nice sized one. Guy filletted it, and gave the fillets to me.....the crappie is in the oven as I type this, lemon pepper on one fillet, and dill on the other fillet. Some frozen French fries on the other half.

My better half is visiting her sister for a couple of days, so I am batching, and Guy took pity on me by giving me a very nice sized crappie! Life is good!

Regards,

Gandolf