Releasing Big Male Bluegill Reminder

[Avid Angler]

Hi everybody!

I put this topic out there last year. I just wanted to bring it up again before the Bluegills start spawning again this year. Hopefully this will help our Big Bluegill lakes.

The reminder is to release all big mature male bluegills. These bulls protect the nests from smaller mature males, which have the small size genetics. If we as fishermen pull all big mature males off the nest, these smaller fish fertilize the nests and produce a much smaller fish population, which leads to stunting. The next thing you know is all you have is 5-6 inch fish, which are very hard to clean. My suggestion is to release the big males over 7 inches.

Every lake is going to be different on how big the bulls will be. A lake I fished last year only had 7 inch bulls, but I would rather catch 7 inch fish in the future than 5 or 6 inchers.

You can keep some females because sunfish are very prolific reproducers, but the majority of the fish kept should be the smaller mature males. Here is a link to help you identify the different bluegills.

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Please educate those you know and enjoy big bluegills for a lifetime.

Avid

[OnAFly]

+1

[Avid Angler]

On A Fly,

What does + 1 mean?

Have a good day!

Avid

[OnAFly]

+1 = I agree.

When I'm out with my Aunts catching sunnies, they keep anything they catch of size. I try to convince them to release the males on nests and other big fish, but I just get a blank stare.

[Gunnin4fish]

What is the difference, I mean, in appearance?

and

is there any way I could have asked that without sounding stupid?

Maybe there's some HSOforum that features this kind of thing?

Not that I'm into that kind of thing.

Really, I'd just want to do my share...without being weird.

[OnAFly]

Look for really brightly colored fish that are hovering over small depressions in shallow water. These are males guarding nests.

[SkunkedAgain]

That doesn't help when you're catching panfish in stained water on bobbers (unless you're fishing in shallow water).

[Avid Angler]

Hey I know a good HSOforum to help you identify the bluegill sexes.

Email me at [email protected] and I will forward it to you. It is a clean and safe site.

This will help you determine what the difference is and be able to release the right fish.

Avid

[Avid Angler]

You can also go to the Annadale/Buffalo, MN forum and look under the 5 fish limit topic and you will see my post.

Avid

[rattleL]

+2...also supporting Avid on this one. I have fished some lakes where pressure is not an issue (out west) and it is pretty awesome to see how big a bluegill can get with being left alone for awhile.

[SmellEsox]

Great post. Keep the females. Release the big males.