The Quest for a Monster BlueGill

[monstermoose78]

Well most of my major projects done for school, so that means it is time to start focusing on my goal of icing a Blue Gill over 10.5 inches in the area. The lakes I have decided that would give me the best chances are just getting enough ice now. I am not saying that the lake I have been fishing does not have a few big gills in it, but the pressure on that lake is on Blue Gills, Crappies, and Northerns during the winter. It also gets fished hard in the summer.

 

The lakes I am focusing on are some that harder to access and ones that Blue Gills are not the main species that is fished for. I also like lakes that people think do not hold fish and are known for winter kills. If you are going to be using this information to find Blue Gills, I ask please release the big gills over 8.5 inches. We need these big ones in the lakes so that they can reproduce and guard the nest during the spawn. 7-8.5 inch gills yield a nice chunk of meat and fry up nice and fast.

 

For jigs I have an addiction to get just about every color of certain styles and sizes. I have taken advice from some of the best panfish anglers around and downsized to 2.5 mm jigs. I have also noticed that in some lakes that the big gills like bigger baits. So I made effort to build up my bigger jigs and small jigging spoons just for my quest.

 

Last year I was humbled by Big Blue Gills so many times. I lost some true giants and the only reason I know they were was, because I had the camera down. I would see some big gills looking at my bait. Only to have a small one come racing up and eat my jig. The small ones were 8-9 inchers. I did not just catch all nice gills as many of you know little gills seem to be every where. I also found it crazy how picky to color these fish can be. Make sure to have at least 2 of every color jig in your box of jigs, because it really sucks when you loose the one color they want to a pesky pike. I was watching many fish coming in very high off the bottom towards evening in 17-20 feet. These fish were 6-10 feet down and I assumed they were crappies and I could not get them to bite. I brought the camera out and was shocked to see big gills cruising that far off the bottom. I still have a lot to learn to about big Blue Gills, but I am willing to learn.

 

Another tip that I found to be helpful is to have rods rigged up with tiny jigs, medium jigs, large jigs, and jigging spoons. Have them ready in spot that you can get them at a moments notice. I have also caught some of my biggest gills on crappie minnows. I am not normally a minnow guy, but it have be something that could land that truly monster gill might be worth it.

 

I am working on learning how to use plastic more and more. It takes using them to build your confidence in them. I have a noodle rod rigged up with plastics and have been trying to use them more.

 

I will be tossing my bump board in my fish house, but I think I need a smaller bump board so that I have it when I am hole hopping around the lake. Good Luck to you all fishing this winter and be safe.

 

Please practice catch and release on big Blue Gills, so our future generations will know the fun of pulling a 10 plus inch Blue Gill through the ice.

[MrGolfwrench]

I wish you great luck on your quest. I echo your thoughts on releasing big ones. I would love to catch a few larger ones at least once in a while.

Some of my best fishing memories are catching 20 or 30 gills 10.5 or bigger in one day (Osakis). Better yet releasing them all and trying to catch them again a day or so later:)

I'm now addicted to fly fishing and catching bigger panfish is way too fun on a fly. If you ever see someone fly fishing for panfish on Blue it is likely me...

[eyeguy 54]

I am ready to join ya but my quest is still to break the 10 inch mark. I'd be happy with one.

[monstermoose78]

I have seen a guy flyfishing blue while I was fishing next time I will stop. Eyeguy lets break you in on a 10 plus incher.

[JeremyCampbell]

Talking on Paragraph 2.

Haven't thought to fish a winter killed lake for bigger pan fish.Nice read Moose.

Good luck on finding your trophy

[blue gill hunter]

Good luck this year finding those monster bulls. I agree, let the big ones go for future generations.

[MrGolfwrench]

If I was in a Lund boat that was me. I live on the lake.

By the way if you are out on Blue and see someone ice fishing outside in blue ice armor and a safety yellow hat it could be me as well

Always nice to talk to others while chasing the monster bluegill

[MJ1657]

I occasionally sunfish in my spear shack. Its amazing how those big guys can suck the bait in and out without your rod so much as quivering. I've caught a few big ones and its just because I could see enough to keep it from the little guys and set the hook on site not feel.

I release all of them. I just do it out of boredome and I think the action attracts pike.

[pikestabber]

I occasionally sunfish in my spear shack. Its amazing how those big guys can suck the bait in and out without your rod so much as quivering.

Ditto. But is it amazing that they can do this, or just horribly, horribly frustrating! I wonder how many times I've been angling and moved because a) nothing is biting, or only little ones are here, and the truth is there were big ones down there taste-testing my jig and spitting it out and I never knew they were there save for the "blip" on my Vex that I assumed were uninterested fish. Angling through a spear hole can teach you a LOT about fish behavior.

[monstermoose78]

I agree with you spear guys. I use the camera but it does not get the ability to see all over. I focus it on my jig to watch for them to suck it in and bingo big gills come to see for a second. I love it when people see me releasing big ones they lose their minds.

[MJ1657]

If I get my spear house on a spot where there are a decent amount of sunfish you should sunfish out of it Monstermoose.

[monstermoose78]

I am down for that MJ

[monstermoose78]

Well the lake I have been fishing is not known for monster gills, but it is good lake for eaters. I only had about 2 hours to fish after doing my honey do list, so I wanted to get some more gills under my belt this season. Caught gills over 8 inches nothing over 9 inches. 6-7 feet of water away from every one else All gills are still swimming for someone else to catch.

[monstermoose78]

I have not added to this thread for the simple fact is I have been stuck in the library every day for about the last 2 weeks. With that said the last day of classes for me was yesterday, but I still have finals week. The good new there is only one final I need to study for. I know I should study for them all and I will but I need to focus on one because I need a c or better to get a B.

So come next Friday it will go time to get on the quest of monster gills of the 2014-2015 ice season. I will try my best to take as many photos and let you all know what I am using. Depending on where I am fishing I will mostly not be mentioning the name of the lakes. Please feel free to ask questions or provide you information as well. I know there some awesome tournament people on here, because they giving me many great tips over the years. So lets all get out after these Monster Gills and allow them to keep swimming unless you want to keep one for the wall.

[monstermoose78]

Well I went out and thought I would find some bigger gills today. I found some tiny little ones and a hand full of gills around 8 inches. I did find some better sized crappies which was nice thing to find. All of the better gills came off wax worms and 3 crappies did as well. I did finally get some action on plastic and this was exciting for me. I have tried plastic with very little success and today the crappies really pounded the plastics. I was using the VMC Pug Bug jig in 1/32 size and the plastic was Clam's Mino plastic the white with red flakes. I did catch 2 gills about 7 inches on it as well. I think this set jig and plastic combo could be killer to crappies and possibly on monster gills.

Good Luck I try to get some gills worthy of photo soon

[bigsam]

Frostee spoons are my go to for the bigger ones. Two wigglers on each hook of the treble, and be aggressive with your jigging!

[monstermoose78]

Well I had a great idea today before I left to the lake. Here it is

Well the quest fell short well short of 10 inches today!!

The crappies wanted to play so I welcomed that with nice hook sets and 8 of these for grandma to have some fresh fish.

[JeremyCampbell]

You da man !

[monstermoose78]

Lol Jeremy!! I have not even come close to 10 inches yet. I will I just need to hit some of the other lakes on my list. Maybe you can come join Eyeguy and I again.

[eyeguy 54]

dang fog! lol. did you go to green?

[monstermoose78]

No I did not go to Green!!

[JeremyCampbell]

If not Green then where moose? j/k

Yeah.

Dont you know JeremyCampbellPaininthebutt, I meen (painting)is usually game for fishin?

I can split the gas Eyeguy.

[efishsport]

Maybe you should get yourself a fish trough!

[MJ1657]

I like how you have your flasher box measured out. Great idea!

[monstermoose78]

Maybe you should get yourself a fish trough!

I have one but it a pain to carry around when I am bouncing around the lake, but I always have my vex with me. It just was and idea for some. I will be getting a new bump board for Christmas that will be better for gills than the one I made, but I will most likely not be carrying it with me when I am on the hunt for monster Bluegills. When I bring my house out and set it up I will have the bump board in it.

[monstermoose78]

I like how you have your flasher box measured out. Great idea!

Thanks MJ. I just needed something and that would be with me and did not add the the gear I need to carry.

[Jplante]

Was out at local lake on saturday morning, dropped first line at about 7:45am. As soon as bobber stop hit my bobber, BAM 11 inch crappie. In the first 15 minutes I had 4 10-11 inch crappies on ice. Then caught a small 10 inch eye, after that no more crappies just perch, fished until about 11. From about 8 am to 10am all you could hear is augers and 4 wheelers, not sure how that effected the fishing but they died off around that time. Ice was still nice and thick just very wet

[monstermoose78]

Well I went out to one of the Lakes that was on my list for gills. I met up with Eyeguy and Jeremy C and we struck-out on finding gills. I know they are in there but where is the question? We took the insider info I had and looked from 5 feet to 26. We found lots of tiny perch in the shallow water. Jeremy found the some crappies for us. Thanks Jeremy for your hard work and hole cutting abilities.

This lake we fished drives me nuts trying to find gills in the winter. I know they are in there and I can not figure out how to find them during the winter. I have come to the conclusion they must be schooled up and just swim around on the shallow flats at random. I will keep trying but it gets hard to keep going out there and not catching any gills.

I picked out a lake that I will be hitting on Friday. It is one I have been one once this ice season, but I was with a friend in search of crappies. This time I will be targeting Gills and hopefully Monster Blue Gills. I am going to get some more rods into my bucket for this trip. I am going to get some smaller jigging spoons on, so that way I might able to keep the little gills away. I am excited to try this lake for gills. I did a try this lake once last winter with my nephew for short trip and it showed some promise. I can't wait to post pictures and report of how this trip goes.

[monstermoose78]

No gills again today. The lake I was on has very low numbers of gills and the ones in there tend to be monsters. I worked a point where I have caught some in the past but no luck. To get me back on track I will hit old faithful, so I can at least catch some gills.

[eyeguy 54]

heading N Sunday afternoon till Monday afternoon to continue my quest.