Big River Bluegills

 Right now, big bluegills are setting up to spawn around here. Many are already on beds, and more are being build daily. For someone that likes to catch trophy size specimens of any and all species- like myself -this is the time to look for big bluegills. I love trophy bluegills. A sunfish in excess of 9 inches is an absolute blast on a 5wt fly rod, and bluegills in particular fight spectacularly well. Probably my favorite place to fish for big 'gills is the Connecticut River and its backwaters. The average size is really good and the fish are abundant as well. I know private waters with some truly huge bluegills, and I've often considered sneaking into them to get some. But when it comes to big public water bluegills in CT, there's little better than the big river. 

Last week I devoted some special effort to a particularly productive bank. Its one of those places I know I can count on each year, there are always beds for about a month solid and the fish are always trophy sized. The methods I use aren't complex, but my casts do typically need to be on point. Before the fish are all on beds, they are usually relating to specific logs. Not every dead-fall along the bank holds fish, but two or three are usually piled with them. Small streamers are my weapon of choice. The action is almost always hot and heavy. 

You may be scoffing right now. There is still this perception that bluegills are for children, and I've even seen kids turn their noses up after being indoctrinated in the trout and bass centric world of American freshwater fishing. I say bullshit, bluegills are awesome, and these big bull males pull harder pound for pound than any largemouth bass. 

Given the relative abundance of these fish and the fact that they are in fact an introduced species, harvesting some is not a bad idea. They do taste quite good, and though they are slightly less easy to clean than crappie or perch you can still get a lot of meat off of one. Just leave the big 9 inch plus specimens to preserve the trophy fish genetics. 

I'll be targeting giant bluegills sporadically through the coming weeks, both specifically and while out looking for other species. Hopefully I'll be able to encounter a few super schools of huge bull bluegills that pull like miniature permit and jump like... well, nothing else really jumps like a bluegill, really. 

Until next time, 

Fish for the love of fish.

Fish for the love of places fish live.

Fish for you.

And stay safe and healthy.

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