Author Topic: Whats a keeper?  (Read 22794 times)

Offline kb

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Whats a keeper?
« on: Dec 30, 2009, 06:52 PM »
What is a keeper Bluegill for you?

Thanks,

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Offline DEADONDYLAN

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #1 on: Dec 30, 2009, 06:53 PM »
8"+

Offline marcus

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #2 on: Dec 30, 2009, 06:57 PM »
depends on the body of water and how in the mood I am in for a fry. The lake I frequent most often has a decent average size of about 7 1/2" so I am a bit picky there, but other water bodies where there are millions of 6"er's I will take them also. If i can get a fillet off of them chances are it is a keeper. There is a small pond near me that I catch whopper gills in but it is small so I am very selective there I even throw back some of the real big ones 10"+ not sure if it makes sense but it seems to me there have got tot be some good genes for those fish to get that big, also it is only a 30 acre pond and the fish seem hungry.
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Offline slipperybob

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #3 on: Dec 31, 2009, 07:54 PM »
It's 8" for me.  I've never caught anything over 9".  Bluegill isn't my specialty, but when I run into a good school, I don't hesitate trying to catch them.
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Offline icehousepsycho

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 01, 2010, 09:31 AM »
I set an 8" limit.  I kept some 7" one time and they were a pain to fillet.  I really like them over 9", those are the best.

Offline BucksNDucks

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 01, 2010, 06:20 PM »
8" seeems like its a standard for most haha
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Offline marcus

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 01, 2010, 09:32 PM »
me and my buddy just cut about 60   and my 8 yr old kept a tally of sizes worked out to a little over 7.5" each and aside from a couple they were nice to fillet
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Offline KgBnY315

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #7 on: Jan 01, 2010, 09:34 PM »
8 in and over. anything smaller goes back in the lake

Offline bluegillhunter3694

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #8 on: Jan 01, 2010, 10:30 PM »
7" and up. The smaller ones are perfect for my little sister.


Offline bobbyfish64

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #9 on: Jan 04, 2010, 12:38 PM »
Quote
I even throw back some of the real big ones 10"+
Good Man!! Way to pass it on brother!!
Selective harvest today..trophy tomorrow !!

Offline Van_Cleaver

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #10 on: Jan 04, 2010, 02:31 PM »
I usually look for 8'', but as mentioned above your limit has to be in relation to the water you are fishing. I also like to release some of the biggest fish for the future. Let go a 10'' the other day cause I already had the two meals I wanted. If you keep letting big ones go, you can bet there will be some bigger ones next year.

Offline vexaholic

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 06, 2010, 02:57 PM »
8 to 9 inchers and I agree with putting those over 9 back in the lake.

Offline Cedar2RTO

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #12 on: Dec 29, 2010, 09:21 AM »
Kept 2 about the size of my hand last night. I actually got more meat off of them than I thought I would. Anything smaller I through back.
I've never kept them before so I think I'll go with the hand rule in the future.

What are the benefits of keeping larger than 7" but less than 10"? ???
If you can keep your head while everyone around you is losing theirs; you may have misunderstood the situation.

Offline Michaelo

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #13 on: Dec 29, 2010, 11:16 AM »
Well when I pull them out of the hole and grab them if I can touch my thumb and middle finger together they go back If I can't touch I keep them depending on how I'm doing that day. But one thing that makes me mad is people who keep 5 inchers walked past a guy yesterday that had about 20 of them laying by him.

Offline kb

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #14 on: Dec 29, 2010, 01:09 PM »
Kept 2 about the size of my hand last night. I actually got more meat off of them than I thought I would. Anything smaller I through back.
I've never kept them before so I think I'll go with the hand rule in the future.

What are the benefits of keeping larger than 7" but less than 10"? ???

Breeding stock
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Offline Swift

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #15 on: Dec 29, 2010, 03:06 PM »
Depends, have a couple lakes where a 6.5"-7" have as much meat as some 8"+ on others.

Offline marcus

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #16 on: Dec 30, 2010, 05:04 PM »
Kept 2 about the size of my hand last night. I actually got more meat off of them than I thought I would. Anything smaller I through back.
I've never kept them before so I think I'll go with the hand rule in the future.

What are the benefits of keeping larger than 7" but less than 10"? ???
In my situation this is a very small body of water, like I said not sure if it makes sense or not, but those 10" are freaks and probably carry good genes. Also if a few of those big'guns I released bites this year think of how big they will be.
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Offline Rebelfisher

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #17 on: Dec 30, 2010, 07:26 PM »
depends on lake but usually 7"+



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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #18 on: Dec 30, 2010, 07:30 PM »
If it fits on a bun. :roflmao:

Offline graybeard1

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #19 on: Dec 30, 2010, 10:06 PM »
I like 7" on up, but if I'm fishing a place that's loaded with smaller ones, I take smaller. Depends a lot on the water. I fish a tiny pond sometimes, that has some nice gills in the 10" range, but I put most back there. Bigger lakes that are full of smaller ones, I'll take 'em home.

Offline SDFlagChaser

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #20 on: Dec 31, 2010, 12:20 PM »
But one thing that makes me mad is people who keep 5 inchers walked past a guy yesterday that had about 20 of them laying by him.

If it's legal and they want to clean then, more power to them.  There are some lakes that need more people to keep the smaller ones, leaves the bigger ones for you and I.  With that being said, i've never kept a bluegill to bring home to eat.  I've only caught a couple over about 8 inches, so it's just not worth it to me.  They are fun to catch though.

Offline Van_Cleaver

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #21 on: Dec 31, 2010, 02:29 PM »
My local lake is loaded with big gills over 8'' (my keepers). Yet sometimes you can't catch any over eight. We laugh cause certain ethnic persuasions kill every size fish they catch in the spring when the crappie may or may not be spawning. Yet every year when there is late ice and even after ice out there are tons of quality fish. A couple days ago I went through about a hundred fish to get one eight in. gill. Yet I know the bulls are in here still and in time I will get on them. I just hope we still have ice when I do!

Offline walkerd

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #22 on: Jan 01, 2011, 07:04 AM »
It would be nice if everyone throws back 10 inchers and over live to make more bigger fish. But if I were to guess maybe 1 in 10000 would or do it. I ussually keep 7 inch on up and since I dont catch alot of ten inch gills I dont have to worry about that one. ;D. Ive kept smaller and cleaned them when they inhale my bait.

Offline Holden Turbitt

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #23 on: Jan 01, 2011, 07:06 AM »
8"

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #24 on: Jan 01, 2011, 08:01 AM »
7" would do for me. I may keep a few that are 6" also.

Offline captain54

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #25 on: Jan 02, 2011, 05:23 PM »
Over 8 inches,when I really on them 8 1/2 inches up,I bless to fish a really good gill lake.

Offline StabinCabin

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #26 on: Jan 02, 2011, 06:47 PM »
10 plus we have alot or pike in our lake so the gill are very good size.
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Offline Iceman421

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #27 on: Jan 04, 2011, 02:29 PM »
Ideally 8-9" are perfect for fileting/eating but after throwing 1,000 dinks, 6" usually find their way in my bucket ;D

Offline Kevin23

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #28 on: Jan 04, 2011, 03:09 PM »
7.5"
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Offline scrounger

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Re: Whats a keeper?
« Reply #29 on: Jan 08, 2011, 03:22 PM »
Breeding stock

why? 3" gills can breed

 



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