Thread: Bluegill/redear guide

Eagle, the redear get pretty big - I saw a fish back in June that, unlike the bluegill I saw in September, I didn't get a good look at; I just saw it spook away from the boat as I was spraying for duckweed...So I don't know whether it was a bluegill, redear, largemouth, or tiger muskie (the fourth species present in that one-acre pond - there are two of them, stocked December 2009 at 12"). But what I saw of that fish looked like it was twelve inches from its back to its stomach...I fully understand if people don't believe that. But assuming my eyes were not playing tricks on me, it was a very big fish, whatever species it was. It seems unlikely that it was a largemouth just because they tend to be much more streamlined than bluegill, and even a ten-pounder would not have that kind of distance from its back to its stomach; and muskie of course are even more streamlined than largemouth. From what I saw of the fish's side, I didn't see a lateral stripe, which makes it less likely it was a bass. The biggest bluegill I posted a photo of above, the northern-strain that's a little over 11" without its tail pinched, was caught when I went back to the pond about a week later to try to get that fish on the hook. Obviously I didn't catch it. I'm hoping a client hooks it at some point this year.