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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Bluegill => Topic started by: BEAVERTAIL on Feb 18, 2010, 06:10 AM

Title: Locating Bigger Gills
Post by: BEAVERTAIL on Feb 18, 2010, 06:10 AM

I fish a lake that is full of small blugills, 6 inch and smaller.  Its a small lake with max depth of about 30 feet.  I figure there have to be some bigger gills spawning all these little guys but can't seem to find them.  20 years ago I fished this lake regularly and consistently caught a lot of 8 inchers and quite a few 9 inchers.
Anybody have any tips or suggestions for finding the bigger ones?

Title: Re: Locating Bigger Gills
Post by: FishGut on Feb 18, 2010, 06:38 AM

Around here, the first thing I would ask would be is: has anything happened to the predator fish population? Tons of little gills might indicate a big population of stunted fish. If not, then now, coming toward late ice, I would start moving into staging areas just off spawning shallow flats. I've been catching bigger fish in 3-5 FOW near inflows of snowmelt, and especially around green "moss" (filamentous algae) beds.

Title: Re: Locating Bigger Gills
Post by: tapsboy68 on Feb 20, 2010, 09:30 AM

ive been fishing gills that past couple days and notice that all the fish are in 3-8 FOW. Yesterday i was in ten feet with nothing moved 3 steps in and landed on top of the fish. I have just been picking through the schools to get the bigger ones. They are there but you might have to fish all day to get them. crap huh ;D

Title: Re: Locating Bigger Gills
Post by: Van_Cleaver on Feb 21, 2010, 08:01 PM

Our local public lake gets a big migration of gills into the shallows every year. The longer the ice stays, the better the fishing gets. Unfortunately, they are calling for rain tomorrow and the next day so it may be over. I got out yesterday and late this afternoon for some nice action; almost all in 4-6 FOW. My total keep in two days; male perch is 11''
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq14/van_cleaver/MarshCklateFeb005.jpg)
typical year class fish; released a bunch 8.75-9''
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq14/van_cleaver/MarshCklateFeb002.jpg)
best fish measured 9.5'', also released
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq14/van_cleaver/MarshCklateFeb008.jpg)
random nice fish
(http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq14/van_cleaver/MarshCklateFeb006.jpg)
The amazing thing about this lake is it gets the crap pounded out of it by meat hunters all year long, but still produces quality fish.