"Jerry" wrote in message
news
Rodney wrote:
Jerry wrote:

Not calling you a liar

mind you, only just as I said I suspect a fish story being spun here.
BTW, a 11.25 inch Bluegill would bust 4# test line in a heart beat.
Pound for pound they will out fight a large mouth bass any day.

Jerry


True they are fighters

False they will bust 4# line in a heart beat

That is if you have your drag set right, and they don't snag you up


No it is not false and you can't have it both ways by qualifying it with
"if you have your drag set right". I'm not saying you can't land them
or even larger fish on light line and tackle but to say you got 50 of
them for a total of 25 pounds and 11.25 inches are caught regularly is
stretching things. Most people who fish for them most likely do use 2,4
or 6 pound test line but if they did run that large all the time you're
gonna bust a lot of line. I'm sure 11-12 inch Bluegill are caught at
times but they just are not caught on a regular bases, especially in the
northern states where the growth rate is slower. The state record for
Michigan is 2# 12 oz with a length of 13.75 inches so I really don't
think (and I could be wrong but) 11.25 inches is common. I think this
kind of sums it up for the average Bullgills in Michigan.
http://mi.lake-link.com/anglers/gall...s.cfm?FishID=4

Jerry


Well, those who "know what they're doing" can indeed catch limits of
bluegills over 10 inches, and won't break a line all day. They are fishing
light line and crickets in 20 feet of water (near a steep weedy dropoff),
and won't break a line. There's nothing to break a line "on". Sure, the
shore fishermen catch a few of the big ones by accident, but the two old
guys in the rowboat (probably using cane poles) anchored outside the
weedline, are filling a gunny sack.

Just for a change-of-pace, they'll take along a bucket of minnows and take a
limit of monster crappies in the same spot. While the sportsmen are
flailing themselves to death (and amusing the bass), they will be sitting
patiently, smoking a cigarette and hauling in a big 'gill every 5 minutes,
"just-like-clockwork". (that works out to about 12 fish an hour)

You can spend a lifetime fishing in the weeds for the 6 inchers, and never
even know that big 'gills are open water fish that rarely get into water
less than 5 feet deep. The little guys are in the weeds to hide, the big
guys aren't afraid of anything.

If you ever do try light line, your drag setting will be your first and most
important concern. The big bluegills and crappies will make it sing, but
they won't run far. They may spin your boat around a few times, but once you
get a short line on them, you can slide them across the surface on their
sides, right into the net.

Pepperoni