Help On The Bluegills

[Jeremy Rasnick]

I think that the 10-12"ers that folks are talking about are red ears. I didn't think that we had them in TR but I saw a huge one on a stringer at Eagle Rock Park this weekend. I had also been getting a lot of reports from an old man who fishes off of the bank at Big M. He swore to me that he catches quite a few 1 lb red ears. I honestly wouldn't have believed it until I saw it. I spoke with Mike and Shane with the MDC and they have seen red ear durring some of their shocking trips. None the less, I am having almost as much fun chasing the gills this year as I am the bass. A great change of pace.

[Champ188]

Aunt's Creek is full of big gills. No bass, though.

[SKMO]

I think that the 10-12"ers that folks are talking about are red ears. I didn't think that we had them in TR but I saw a huge one on a stringer at Eagle Rock Park this weekend. I had also been getting a lot of reports from an old man who fishes off of the bank at Big M. He swore to me that he catches quite a few 1 lb red ears. I honestly wouldn't have believed it until I saw it.

Jeremy - The Redears are a distinct possibility on the larger bluegill-type fish. Last year a guy I work with said his Dad & Uncle were consistently catching some toad redears in and around Sweetwater (Mid Kings River). He could tell I was skeptical and brought in a couple carcasses for me to look at and for sure they were really large redear, and I keep hearing of more being caught. So I guess I forgot about those as a possible 11" fish.

Personally I have never caught one on TR but I think I'm gonna give it a try around Sweetwater next time we plunk some bait.

Thanks for the reminder, I would still like to see a pic of a couple bona-fide 10" TR gills. You can add an inch or two to any bass with a good fish story but I think the 10-11" gills are few and far between but willing to eat crow with some evidence. Biggest I ever caught was not measured but might have been approaching 10", it was caught on a 1/2 oz rattletrap in the midst of a bunch of schooling whites and KYs in June around Sans Souci point.

Regards - SKMO

[techo]

Aunt's Creek is full of big gills. No bass, though.

Here we go again!