Florida Bluegill

[Illinoisgiller]

I've heard many times how big the gills get in Florida waters.
Since there are a few people spending the winter down there, what is the scoop? What is the somewhat average gill size down there?
I would imagine it is similar to here in the midwest, having different size gills depending on the particular water.
Most public waters that I fish, gills top out at 1/2 to a little over 3/4 lb. There are a few 1 pound+ fish but certianly not in any amount.
So, even though it's the winter season ,do you ever get on some nice ones.??? Mike

[big country]

mike there are some very nice ones here i have seen and caught them over 1 pound most of the ones i catch are hand size but i do catch them where i can't put my hand around them allot...and the scrap like a truck....lol...

[capt.kirk]

HEY MIKE
what big country is telling you is true,a 1 pounder + is common in our
area,the biggest problem is getting them before MOHAWK & WEWASER
use them for FLATHEAD BAIT.:D
KIRK

[Environmentor]

Yeah, I can imagine them being good down there just cause of the climate. Floridia and other Southern states seem to always have the "big" fish since they have that year-long growing season. A pounder in Floridia, is likely a lot younger than a pounder in Iowa/Illinois. So, if you catch a one pounder here in Iowa/Illinois, it has outsmarted anglers for around a decade (that is why it is important to practice CPR, even on bluegill). Catch that same size fish in Floridia, it has only been around 5 years. However, up here in the midwest we have that great black soil. That great black soil may not help produce big trophy bass, but it really does wonders for those lower level feeders like bluegill. Also, seems like Floridia is a fishing mecca. I don't know how crowded Floridia waters are, but seems like public lakes here around the Quad-Cities are so few/far that overfishing is pretty bad on most public lakes/ponds.

[Illinoisgiller]

Gulp, 1 pound+ gills for bait???? :confused:
Seriously, I'm supprised that they will hit a gill that size . We must be talking flats big enough to have an attitude.:D
Except for a very few private ponds, bait would be tough to come by in this area . Mike

[Schoe]

I am fortunate to have a private pond that I have access to for nice Gills for the table and for bait. The pond is approx. 3 acres and is over run with Bluegills. In 05 alone I took at least 4 to 5 hundred out of there for mostly bait but the big ones for the table.

A 5 lb. Flathead has no problem inhaling a 1/4 to 1/2 lb. with ease. My biggest last year was 43 lbs and hit a 1/2 lb. Bluegill in less than 2 ft. of water. Those Flats just love them Bluegill as do I. Schoe

[Stump Bumper]

Illinoisgiller, at last year's "FCC", Lib Tambe caught his first Flathead, a two pounder that tried to eat a six inch long bait and it got lodged in the flatheads mouth. I guess his eye's were bigger than his stomach....LOL....Ray

[capt.kirk]

MIKE
no gills today but i just finished filleting 15 big black crappie,all were 12 to
14 inch,caught them on orange head brown body maribo jig,and you know
that they are not catfish bait around my house,wife would rather have
crappie than steak.i sure wish we could have gotten into the bigger ones.
KIRK

[Illinoisgiller]

capt. Kirk, So you ONLY got on the 12"to14" Crappies? Sure sorry to hear that you didn't get the large ones. lol You fellas are definately on a great fishery down there. Every time we get a breeze out of the south I can hear those bull gills calling me.
Please tell your wife she has good taste. Can't be wasting those nice fillets, even for a flathead. Wish you tight lines, Mike

[capt.kirk]

HEY MIKE
i am headed back to the same place in about an hour,i need to lay in
several meals before the water gets to warm and the crappie get soft,i think
i will try some small beetle spins today,will let you know how it goes later,
and if they are the size of yesterday,i will be tickled to death.:D
KIRK

[gofish]

gotta be nice to be able to catch crappie like that and have to worry about the water getting ....too.....warm. lol its 26 degrees here right now. go get em capt.

[capt.kirk]

Go Fish
i just finished filleting 10 crappie about the same size as yesterday,and
got 1 nice gill that was an easy 2 lb,just a little wind shift shut them down,
about 11:00am.you are right about florida being a great place for all types
of fishing,on the down side it is expensive to live here,as far as car insurance,
by the state having the no fault thing i pay more for the car insurance than
i did when i was 30yrs old,trying to keep insurance on a double wide is
near impossible,we are going on our 4th yr here and have been dropped
3 times do to the hurricanes,and we have not had a claim,right now we
are up to our neck in snow birds,way to crowded,and the county we live
in is the 38th fastest growing county in the united states,im ready to head
back to the hills,for a little more laid back living,im sure you would like it
here for a while,but it wouldnt take long till you missed your old stomping
grounds:)
KIRK

[Illinoisgiller]

capt.kirk, Now you done it again. I caught that "must have been at least 2 lb gill". I am still on the chase for my first 1 lb. gill from public water. My best red ear was only 1 1/4 lb.up here ,but I've seen them a lot larger.
Not much of a supprise how it's going down there. Seems every area has problems of some sort.
I love to travel ,but always happy to get back home also.
If it is handy at some point, could you post a pic. of a 1 1/2 to 2 lb. gill?
There is a plastic model of the world record gill at the Ia. City Scheels. They have it in a case to keep my drool off it. :D
Keep the reports comming when it's handy. Mike

[gofish]

capt.kirk ive lived or worked across the country and it always seems that you trade one good things for 2 bad ones. my favorite place in the world was northern wisconsin but the unemployment rate when i left in that county was 29%. i had a good job but had to travel. know you hate to lose the friends and fishing there but sounds like eddyville is nicer. id like to see a pic of a gill like that too. like to catch one more but a pic will do for now.lol never seen a 2lber. im trying to catch a couple 1 to 1 1/2 lbers to mount to go with my other fish. got a dream of having a display in my living room. wind start blowing you away from the fish or just shut them down?

[capt.kirk]

we were fishing from the bank between 2 brush piles about 75 yards
from each other,and a friend was fishing another brush pile at the other
end of the lake,everyone was doing pretty good till we had a wind shift
from the east,i dont know if thats why they quit or not,we started changing
baits and depth and it didnt do any good,as we were about to quit,i put
on a silver/with black spot rooster tail and the first cast here came the
nice gill.we are leaving monday am up to visit SCHOE before he goes home,
and then to wewahitchka to look it over and see mohawk and wewaser,
probably come home wed or thur,then its back to fishing,when i can get
some quality fish i will see about getting some pictures up.unless we are
out of fish to eat i throw most everything back after taking pictures of
them,i have several pictures of 8 to 10 lb bass that i have released,the
neighbors go nuts when i do that,i would rather let the big ones grow,and
eat the 1 to 2 pounders,SCHOE has seen my wall of pictures and knows
that im telling it like it is.:)
KIRK

[Illinoisgiller]

Capt. Kirk. I wouldn't question for a second, your ability to guess the size of your fish. :) I just enjoy seeing pictures of fish that so many take for granted. I need to cary a camera more often, and when I do at least take time to get a pic. I get caught up in the moment and just KNOW there must be another out there just a bit larger:D
I also release what I think are the largest bull gills I catch ,no matter where I'm fishing. I wish I knew more about crappie. I've heard so much about culling off different year classes and the boom and bust stories that I'm left pretty much confused .
Thank you for all you add to the foruim and enjoy the visit, Mike

[gofish]

cant wait to see the pics capt. kirk. have a safe visit