Big Bulls

[LaVoi]

I will admit, when it comes to fishing I am ususally out chasing walleye, pike, or bass. But there is always a few times a summer when I will specifically set my sights for the day on trying to get into some nice bluegill. They are one of my favorites species to eat, and I agree they are pound for pound one of the, if not the hardest fighting fish. Could you imagine having a five or six pound sunnie on the other end of the line! I think something like that could pull me in the water. So I give the ol' bluegill all the respect in the world. We all had to wet a line for the first time, and for most of us it was probably our father's brining us out to the hottest sunnie hole in the county so we would be able to have action all day. And we have been hooked ever since. Long Live The Sunnie!!!! Good fishin, LaVoi

[SpikeRoberts]

Scott,
For me it seems that really nice sunnies are harder to come by than decent walleyes or nice pike. Sure, anybody can catch numbers in many, many MN lakes, but when it comes to finding those really big ones it usually takes a long time to find that certain spot. With that said, I'll share generic info about sunny fishing (depth, structure, lures, techniques, etc..), but I won't even share my favorite holes with family I usually blinfold them when I take them out to the really nice spots LOL

[IceHawk]

Here is a list of the lakes I have fished that I personnaly know will produce that 1lb plus bull gill. As I let out this information lets all realize that big sunfish are a fragile resource, so lets all keep a few nice ones for a meal and let a few of these big beauties back into the lake. It always brings a smile to my face when I see a child pull one of these slabs in for the first time. They will be hooked for life.

1-Enemy swim- Northeast South Dakota
2-Lindsay- Cass County
3-Osakis-Todd County
4-Big Portage- Cass county
5-Leech- Cass County
6-Pelican lake-Valentine Nebraska

[Guest]

I like this. A place for those fisherman to talk about fishing bluegill. As a lot of you know I spend a lot of the year chasing Big Bulls around MN, SD & IA. Sure they may be panfish to some but to me they are trophies. Pound for pound big bluegill fight as hard as any fish. I am very excited about having a specific forum for Bluegill and you can count on my to visiting it regularily. Anybody have any lakes they care to share. Those lakes where you catch those Big Bulls. Those lakes where you have a better chance at catching a ligitimate pounder.ScottS

[Maryjl]

Great this is my favorite fish to fish for and to eat. Many times I have thought I was fighting a much bigger fish. They are so much fun to catch.
<><Mary><>

[Guest]

Well said Ice Hawk! Your list looks very similar to mine, except I never get to Nebraska. January 1st they decreased the limit to 10 so that should help the over harvest of the Big Bulls on Enemy Swim.

Okaboji & Badger Creek both in Iowa also rate very high on my list. Minnesota has a lot of lakes with Big Bulls but unfortuately with our liberal limits, they are getting harder and harder to come by.ScottS

[dlskills]

hey scott;
over here by willmar here a few sleeper lakes that hold bulls. koronis is one and diamond and green and nest and calhoun is a real sleeper because it is full of sunnies..
thanks dwight

[Flick]

They do fight extremely hard. I was walleye fishing with a friend and he set the hook on a fish. It was fighting real hard so we thought it was a nice walleye like 3-5lbs. When it finally came up and we netted it, it was a gigantic sunfish. It was 12" long. It weighed 1.2 on my digital without eggs. After we took a pic we let it go. Even on nice sunfish there isn't much meat, a 16" walleye is equal to about 3-4 sunfish. That's why I'd rather keep a few eyes instead of taking a number of nice sunfish. Still fun to catch though

[Guest]

Dwight, you have quite a few sleepers over there. Nest certainly! I used to have a cabin on that lake and fished it all the time. But, you can't forget Norway and a few of those lakes over that way. Great fishing over your way.ScottS

[Guest]

"Please release me, let me go"

We call 'em "2 beer can bluegills"...the bulls, the squareheads...possibly the most beautiful fish in freshwater. Those big boys deserve to live.

I live in an area of SW Iowa absolutely littered with farm ponds, gravel pits and small impoundments that host some fantastic fishing for these critters. The best technique I use for catching consitently larger fish is drifting/slow trolling the basin areas well away from weed edges. Ice jigs/bait or small tubes fished just above the thermocline on long cane poles are relaxing, simple and effective...great for kids!

If I had to pick a couple of Minnesota lakes that consistently produce big gills for me would be South Lida (Ottertail) and Medicine (Beltrami).

FLB

[DCICE]

I'll share these lakes with the hope that everyone will truly respect the chance for others to fight a giant gill. Please throw some big girls back! Johanna Lake and Long Lake (near willmar) are the only SOLID big gill lakes I've known in my area. Those sandy spots with cover are all over these two lakes.
DC