Thread: What is the best Trophy Redear, and Bluegill Lake in America ?

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

I posted public lakes open to everybody, but I agree. I have fished some private ponds here in GA that are just awesome for big bluegill. Callaway Gardens, near Columbus GA, has incredible bluegill fishing. You have to hire a guide to fish those ponds, though, and it's strictly catch-and-release.

MAN! Callaway Gardens!! Used to fish there when i was a kid with the family..Great gills!! Back 35-40 years ago you did'nt need a guide!!

It appears that Lake Havasu in Arizona is probably the best Shellcracker lake in the entire country. Actually, if you google the Colorado River, they've got several lakes impounded along that river system that qualify as trophy redear fisheries because of the invasive mussels the redear have to feed on. Havasu just produced the world record redear last year by a bassfisherman. I've read reports on the internet that show biologists have shocked up tons of two and three pound redear in those Western Lakes.

For the Eastern half of the country, you've got Barkley and Kentucky Lake, Seminole, Okachobee in Florida, Santee Cooper and many others. I've fished the Merrit Mill Pond when I was a boy and we caught two large redear that day, one was close to 2lbs and the other was 2.75lbs...my uncle caught them both. That was in the heyday for that pond, around 1988 or so. The water was VERY clear and you could look down and see large musselshell craters where the shellcracker nested.

Santee Cooper for crackers. ANYWHERE if Florida for gills

Lake perris Ca for gills

for true trophy fish...

Shellcracker Santee Cooper

Bluegill Richmond Mill

Check out this link, watch past the 4:30 minute mark
2lb bluegill, 2 1/2lb bluegill - YouTube

If you're ever up Iowa way make a stop in at Lake Belva Deer in southeast Iowa. The lakes only been around about 10 years but it wouldnt be uncommon to get into 11-13 in gills everytime you go out. Also horsed a few 15" plus crappie out of there. Its only about 200 acres

Very true, there are a lot of great Redear, and Bluegill lakes in America.

StickMarsh/Farm 13 south of Melborne Fl.