BLUEGILL ANGLERS PLEASE READ!

[slabslayer]

Many of us love to hunt monster gills thru the ice. But it's our responsibility to protect our fisheries.  We MUST practice selective harvest!  Even though the state hasn't imposed a bluegill limit (which is desperately needed) like they did for crappie, we need to not over fish the bluegill population in a lake.  If we want to ensure successful fishing for bull bluegill for years to come we have to ensure it by not taking home a 5 gallon gallon bucket full when fishing for them. Absolutely keep some for the table!  But the 9-10 inch plus fish need to be released back into the lake for breeding to sustain a good fishery for us and the generation that follows.  Thanks for everyone's cooperation and help in making this possible!

[Ntoiceman36]

That's a good point slab, unfortunately I can hear some people saying" there is no limit set I'll take as many as I want". Walking a round nimi on sunday I found small fish just left on the ice to die! Unfortunate but true. We need to be proactive and help manage our fisheries by only taking what we intend to use for us and our families!

[nixmkt]

Don't believe returning dinks is the point slabslayer is making.  Bluegills are very prolific (they can spawn 2-3 times a year) and can easily become stunted from overpopulation.  That is why there are no limits now and why many believe that removing small stunted gills will improve the situation in many local lakes, but I don't want to start that argument here.

Recently learned from another board that bluegills become sexually mature at 3-4" in length but they can and will delay their sexual maturity until they reach a larger size if the population is dominated by larger bluegill.  If too many larger bluegill are removed from a lake’s population, the smaller fish will choose to mature at an earlier age while they are smaller, and therefore reduce the overall average size of bluegills in the lake.

That suggests anglers should release at least some of the larger gills they catch and possibly some type of daily limit of bluegills over a maximum length limit should be imposed in order to help sustain and/or grow populations of larger gills.

Boy slabslayer, I sure would like to catch some of those 9-10" gills.

[Ntoiceman36]

I think leaving small fish on the ice to die is not an example of proper selective harvest!  I totally agree that populations can become stunted and complete catch and release does more harm than good

[Luvztaphish]

  Releasing larger bluegill , these words are coming from the same persons who put on the panfish series . You weigh in your 5 BIGGEST bluegill . Usually dead or almost dead . Practice what you preach , weigh in alive gills to be released . Fines for un releasable bluegills , loss  of points . Also petition the ODNR to start a limit or slot on the larger bluegill . I'm not a bluegill fisherman I will harvest some if I get into them ,let's face it they taste fantastic . Be proactive and turn in the guy throwing fish on the ice and walking away from them ,we all have cell phones .

[slabslayer]

There were hardly any bluegill weighed in. Let's face it, Crappie weigh more than gills. I'll bet there were less than 20 gills I saw in people's buckets combined. That's out of 13 teams or 25 fishermen approximately. I saw more bluegill in one dudes plastic pail yesterday while I was on Nimi than everyone combined at the tournament. As a rule tournament anglers understand that they want to preserve the fishery for future events. And if each fisherman keeps a handful for the table that's fine. I don't mean never keep a gill, I agree they taste awesome.  I agree on leaving small gills on the ice, I hate that too.  I'm referring to the guys who every day go out, find the school and take 100 bigger fish home. I didn't start the thread to get on a soap box or vent, and I'm not po'd, just wanted all of us bluegill anglers to think about it. It happened at Mogadore and that Lake is just starting to recover. I see the same thing starting to happen at Nimi and just don't want to see it become overrun with 4-5" fish for the next 10 years. Thanks to everyone for weighing in on this, I appreciate all the comments and feedback.  

[quackpot]

Yeah it was sad to see so many small gills dead on the ice. I caught a lot of bluegill but only keep nine the rest went back down the hole.

[OhioFisher19]

I agree a limit is needed. Whats the need to take home 150-200 gills... but some places keep on producing.

[Luvztaphish]

You can harvest , but be selective . Put back the 9+ gills to keep the gene pool going . Eat the 6,7 and even the 8s .

[g]

i agree slab, don't over harvest the bull gills. Keep the 7 & 8 inchers to eat but release the bulls to pass on their genes. My buddies only keep 6 or 8 fish for a meal and we release the rest . A limit would be great so people don't over harvest them. Whatever you do, please eat what you keep and don't waste them.

[icebucketjohn]

I dont return, leave on the ice nor waste the small gills I catch.

The dink gills go into my compost to feed my garden veggies & flowers. My garden appreciates the non-commercial, ORGANIC "fertilizer" and my garden results show it.

[Strongpersuader]

Now that's a great looking garden!

[slabslayer]

Making me hungry for my home made salsa. Just finished a batch last night. Time for more before super bowl!

[snag]

Here's the deal on leaving fish on the ice......it's illegal.  If you get caught by the warden, they invoke the same regulation as cleaning fish on the lake and throwing the scraps back into the water.

[Optfish]

I agree with Icebucket John small go to garden so you will eventually catch larger Gills. and the garden will bless your table as well. Better Garden, Bigger Fish.