Blue Gills

[Phil Lilley]

At least once a year, I love to get up to the upper lake (Table Rock) and fish for big gills and this morning was it, so far.  It took us a while of course to find where they were hiding but when we found them they bit and they were big.... they did not disappoint.

9 am - Put in at State Park.

Tried a couple of spots close to the Branson Belle that have been good to me in the past - nothing.  Then we went to an old favorite... the high line point in close to Moonshine Beach.  We tried our pieces of night crawlers in 12-20 feet all places but this time we ventured out a little deeper and caught a few.  Still bored, we went on over to the main point there, on the inside (east of the point) and fished in 22-28 feet on the bottom and found them.

They weren't fast and furious but it kept us on our toes.  Ended up with 15 between the 3 of us, about evenly distributed.  I hadn't had my son Greg out BG fishing since he was a kid and for Coy, he's an old pro.  Number 8 hook, small split shot, #4 pound line and drop it to the bottom, reel up a little bit.  That's about it.

The fish I cleaned, most had eggs so I don't think they've spawned yet.  I was told they were 15 feet deep but we found them deeper, at least in those spots.

How long?  The board doesn't lie

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[Phil Lilley]

Aren't these red ears?  If they're not, I need to change the title!!

[Guest]

they just look like bluegill to me.  really nice ones, and sure will be tasty!

bo

 

 

[tjm]

1 hour ago, Phil Lilley said:

Aren't these red ears?  If they're not, I need to change the title!!

If they have a red margin on the 'ear flap' they are red ear, I don't think those are by the body shape I call those Blue Gill, everybody I grew up with would call them perch.

Nice eaters what ever you name them.

[Fishmeister]

Red Ear

[Phil Lilley]

OK.... I changed the title.

[Johnsfolly]

Phil - those all look like bluegills. Congrats on a nice mess of fish! Sometimes it is great to get out on an uncomplicated fishing trip. Cooperative panfish fit that bill most of the time usually with numbers of fish caught and a lot of fight in those fish as well. Can't beat it in my opinion.

[vonreed]

Yum Yum, although tedious to clean, they are some of the best eating fish swimming around.  congrats.

[Quillback]

I need to do that soon.  Love catching those nice sized gills.  

[dtrs5kprs]

Ok, contributing to the official bluegill thread...