'Gills and 'Crackers from 10/10/15

My good buddy and I went to a neighborhood lake in town that holds a variety of sunfish, bass, and crappie.

Bottom content is relatively gravelly with a bit of vegetation. This lake doesn't get too much pressure since it is private for the property owners in the neighborhood. The sunnies and bass grow very large.

We caught most of these on a drop shot rig with redworms, cast out into about 6' of water and let sit, almost like catfishing. A few were caught on a small jig with redworm on it dropped off the dock.

Big fish of the trip, and my personal best, was this redear that measured at just over 10" I thought i had a bass on, the way he fought. I estimated him at about a pound, give or take.

I edited the picture of the big fish in my photoshop class that i'm taking. Not too bad for a first try, I'd thinkAttachment 216822Attachment 216823

Some good eatin there!

I've actually never had Bluegill! most of these will be for jugline bait for catfish, which my dad fishes for almost religiously, lol. I've always heard good things about eating them, How do you prepare them blackhawk?

Fillet and fry. I have to agree with Black hawk. That's some fine eating.

If you can't filet them, take a teaspoon and knock off the scales. Cut off the head and clean out the innards. Put a couple slices in each side to help hold on the meal. And fry. Very sweet tasting fish. Be careful of bones as the bones are smaller. Oh yea, after you fry them chew the tail for the crunch!

Nice fish!

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Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

Fillet and fry. I have to agree with Black hawk. That's some fine eating.

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reminds me of a time while docking after a day of bass fishing. A lady was fishing the dock and catching bream and throwing them in a dry bucket. I asked her how she could eat a fish that small and she said " Well you eat a butterbean don't you". Kinda changed my way of thinking. When the kids are with me and the crappie bite gets slow I bait them with worms while I search for the next hot spot. Sometimes I feel like a sushi chef but it keeps them interested and they know where their meal comes from.

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Originally Posted by "D"

If you can't filet them, take a teaspoon and knock off the scales. Cut off the head and clean out the innards. Put a couple slices in each side to help hold on the meal. And fry. Very sweet tasting fish. Be careful of bones as the bones are smaller. Oh yea, after you fry them chew the tail for the crunch!

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Agree with D..grew up eating gills this way..about as good as it gets..hungry

Congrats on your catch.


Regards

Quote:

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Originally Posted by "D"

If you can't filet them, take a teaspoon and knock off the scales. Cut off the head and clean out the innards. Put a couple slices in each side to help hold on the meal. And fry. Very sweet tasting fish. Be careful of bones as the bones are smaller. Oh yea, after you fry them chew the tail for the crunch!

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Don't forget the hot sauce and hush puppies! Nice mess of fish there.

Thanks all! I hope to go out for more this weekend!

they are some of the best eating fish around .....
and i have seen people keep them so small they wasn't even good bait size .....
i asked a lady one time where she was going to use all them she had in a bucket for bait ...
and she looked at me like i was nuts and said i am gunna eat them all ....LOL

I fillet for my wife but like mine whole, the bones add flavor and are easily separated from the meat after frying :ThumbsUp

My uncle used to say "They're bigger than peas, you eat peas don't you?"

save the little ones for the cats . Eat the good ones .