Selective Harvest?

[Hog Daddy]

I don't really have anything important to say other than I must be older than most here, since I remember when Indiana did have a 25 limit on bluegill.  As far as I can remember we've always had a 25 on redear.  So if such a good idea, why did dnr remove the limit?  How did that limit work out for the redear?  I can only tell you that down south here it is all about the shad population.  We are at odds with the bass and white crappie fishermen who  like shad.  Many of the premier gill lakes have been killed by the shad explosion.  That is why you have a place like Starve Hollow fish hatchery rotenoning the lake there multiple times in the past few years...and starting over completely.  Same thing for Boggs.  Can't ever go back and do that for the large reservoirs like Monroe or Patoka.  In the beginning of both of these reservoirs, feeder creeks / rivers were rotenoned to kill all fish.  Please don't bring any live shad bait into my premier gill lakes.

HHD

 

[Chris338378]

Just because the limit is what ever doesn't mean people should limit out every time or try to.  I only take what I'm going to eat and a lot of times throw them all back so others and I can have fun catching them another day.  If you don't leave some for seed you won't grow anymore.

[sprkplug]

No apology needed in my eyes springbobber, and there's certainly no offense taken here either. There's been some good info put forth on this thread, and getting input from as many sources as possible just makes it easier to formulate a hypothesis.

Interesting on the Michigan gills...they're the same strain as ours, (Lepomis Macrochirus Macrochirus, or northern strain), so if they grow larger or heavier up there, some aspect of their environment, or management practice, is working in their favor. I'll see if I can research that and make a comparison. Thanks for the tip!

[Gills-only]

Michigan used to have a 25 fish limit yrs ago that only 15 could be bluegills.  They also had to be at least 6" long.

[rico]

I don't really have anything important to say other than I must be older than most here, since I remember when Indiana did have a 25 limit on bluegill.  As far as I can remember we've always had a 25 on redear.  So if such a good idea, why did dnr remove the limit?  How did that limit work out for the redear?  I can only tell you that down south here it is all about the shad population.  We are at odds with the bass and white crappie fishermen who  like shad.  Many of the premier gill lakes have been killed by the shad explosion.  That is why you have a place like Starve Hollow fish hatchery rotenoning the lake there multiple times in the past few years...and starting over completely.  Same thing for Boggs.  Can't ever go back and do that for the large reservoirs like Monroe or Patoka.  In the beginning of both of these reservoirs, feeder creeks / rivers were rotenoned to kill all fish.  Please don't bring any live shad bait into my premier gill lakes.

HHD

I too remember that.  I would presume it was lifted due to their abundance in our waters???

[wax_worm]

No apology needed in my eyes springbobber, and there's certainly no offense taken here either. There's been some good info put forth on this thread, and getting input from as many sources as possible just makes it easier to formulate a hypothesis.

Interesting on the Michigan gills...they're the same strain as ours, (Lepomis Macrochirus Macrochirus, or northern strain), so if they grow larger or heavier up there, some aspect of their environment, or management practice, is working in their favor. I'll see if I can research that and make a comparison. Thanks for the tip!

Just for reference Sprkplug, some of the lakes Springbobber is talking about are not very far at all over the state line, so it is not like we are traveling hours into Michigan to find a very noticable difference in the girth and width of the gills you can catch.

[rico]

Just for reference Sprkplug, some of the lakes Springbobber is talking about are not very far at all over the state line, so it is not like we are traveling hours into Michigan to find a very noticable difference in the girth and width of the gills you can catch.

If I missed somewhere waxie I apologize, but what do you attribute the differences to?

[sprkplug]

Just for reference Sprkplug, some of the lakes Springbobber is talking about are not very far at all over the state line, so it is not like we are traveling hours into Michigan to find a very noticable difference in the girth and width of the gills you can catch.

I appreciate the info Wax, as I've never fished Michigan. I'm researching  survey data to see what kind of numbers come up...Is there a particular BOW(s) that seems to turn out bigger gills up there? If in fact the BG do display a larger size (on the average) once you cross the state line, then the issue of rules and regs having a positive impact does become a possibility, although not a certainty. Interesting.

[marmooskapaul]

I don't really have anything important to say other than I must be older than most here, since I remember when Indiana did have a 25 limit on bluegill.  As far as I can remember we've always had a 25 on redear.  So if such a good idea, why did dnr remove the limit?  How did that limit work out for the redear?  I can only tell you that down south here it is all about the shad population.  We are at odds with the bass and white crappie fishermen who  like shad.  Many of the premier gill lakes have been killed by the shad explosion.  That is why you have a place like Starve Hollow fish hatchery rotenoning the lake there multiple times in the past few years...and starting over completely.  Same thing for Boggs.  Can't ever go back and do that for the large reservoirs like Monroe or Patoka.  In the beginning of both of these reservoirs, feeder creeks / rivers were rotenoned to kill all fish.  Please don't bring any live shad bait into my premier gill lakes.

HHD

I believe this! Most lakes/reservoirs that have large shad populations, seem to be mediocre at best for BG fishing. Shad are not the answere  to great fishing that everybody thinks they are. Once ya got them ya can,t get rid of them...Unless you kill the lake off like HD said. There might be instances where they help giil fishing ,but I haven't seen it?
Paul

[Jigmup]

I agree, I've seen the bluegill pop. and quality decline from exploding populations of shad, on my local impoundment of course! But, I've seen the species that I fish for most take off in a big way due to the shad. I've also witnessed an incredible smallmouth fishery come along and I have to conclude that again, its the shad that is boosting the quality. All the mega walleye waters that I fish (except 2 ) have shad as the primary forage. The other thing this does is take emphasis off of perch as forage. This can be good for mediocre sized perch populations as well. They get food, grow up big and strong and don't have to look over their shoulder as much.

I've seen the introduction of shad on my local reservoir completely change the fishery. At first I complained constantly about the shad. Now, I couldn't be happier. Its all about adjustments and just because fish that used to migrate a sunken bridge, road or foundation now suspend over the main basin, it doesnt make the fishery bad......in my case it made it go from good to awesome!

now back to your regular programming!

[Hog Daddy]

It is pretty much a given that you will not find any decent gills in the larger reservoirs in Indiana unless they are in the early years.  I experienced some unbelievable fishing at Patoka for both red ear and gills in the early years, and then in 1995 it was like a light switch turned off and size dropped.  You can go to the fish surveys and clearly see that was when the percentage of shad ballooned .  It was the same for Monroe.  Now you catch stunted gills there that are all head.  The result is that very few people fish for gills there anymore.  One thing that puzzles me though is that I know that the large bodies of water... Ky and Barkley lakes can produce some large gills and redears, and I know there are large amounts of shad there.  The only thing I can think of is the balance of fish species must be different.

Jigmup...I agree... since the gills have been screwed ..... I find myself going after different species now...mostly crappie, and darn if I'm not getting duped into walleye fever.

HHD

[sprkplug]

Shad influence can certainly affect the BG population in some cases, as shad compete for some of the same food sources that Bluegill do....... so there's less forage for the BG. Redears are able to utilize some items as forage that Bluegill cannot, so the shad presence probably wouldn't affect them as much, and typically there are fewer Redear than BG in a given BOW.

[wax_worm]

If I missed somewhere waxie I apologize, but what do you attribute the differences to?

Rico....no expert here, but these bodies of water are very similar to many of our indiana waters.  I think alot of it has to do with the 25 panfish limit in Michigan.  Add to that, alot of people up there fish for other species that are more readily available statewide like trout and salmon and I don't think they get as much pressure.

[Fish_Tko]

Rico....no expert here, but these bodies of water are very similar to many of our indiana waters.  I think alot of it has to do with the 25 panfish limit in Michigan.  Add to that, alot of people up there fish for other species that are more readily available statewide like trout and salmon and I don't think they get as much pressure.

Waxy,

Are the keepers just heavier or are there is there a notable difference throughout the age classes of dish as well. I can see the advantage of fishing in Michigan for gills if everyone else on the lake isn't panfishing

[Fishking83]

I got burned out on bass fishing and began pike fishing really hard many years back.  Still like to bass fish once in a while but nothing like I used to.  This past year I began panfishing pretty much 100% of the time I was out in open water.  I fish for panfish much more during open water season than Wax does.  I have an idea about some of the lakes that Waxworm is talking about but I also fish a few that he doesn't that flat out give up big gills almost every time out.  IMO I think there is a major difference in the size of bluegills in some of the lakes.  I live about 2-3 miles from the stateline and if I'm looking for good gills I'm always headed north.  Majority of lakes that I visit during the summer months are great for several species of fish.  However, all of the lakes I'm talking about still get hammered with pressure but still continue to crank out hog gills year after year.

[fishogger]

cant see one regulation being good across the state.  some bodies of water are way more fertile than others. reservoirs like sylvan and natural lakes with rivers running through them seem to give up the numbers of good gills. other deep clear lakes just dont seem to produce as good. although they can hold some toads! crappie need all the thinning we can give them. imo

[rico]

Rico....no expert here, but these bodies of water are very similar to many of our indiana waters.  I think alot of it has to do with the 25 panfish limit in Michigan.  Add to that, alot of people up there fish for other species that are more readily available statewide like trout and salmon and I don't think they get as much pressure.

I can buy that.

[wax_worm]

Waxy,

Are the keepers just heavier or are there is there a notable difference throughout the age classes of dish as well. I can see the advantage of fishing in Michigan for gills if everyone else on the lake isn't panfishing

You can notice the differecne in the mich gills vs indiana gills even in the ones that are to short to keep.  They are just thicker and 'taller' than the same length fish from Indiana and you seem to catch alot more good ones in a 25 fish limit there than here.  I would rather clean and eat a bunch of 8 inch fish than 10" ers, but 10" are alot more fun to catch.

[High Tide]

You can notice the differecne in the mich gills vs indiana gills even in the ones that are to short to keep.  They are just thicker and 'taller' than the same length fish from Indiana and you seem to catch alot more good ones in a 25 fish limit there than here.  I would rather clean and eat a bunch of 8 inch fish than 10" ers, but 10" are alot more fun to catch.

I agree, Michigan gills are beautiful specimens... and they have a 25 fish limit, and it doesn't seem to be stunting their lakes.  Definitely food for thought!

[Fish_Tko]

i'll be real honest i would rather eat 6.5" fish....8" gills are pushing it on being too big, but i agree i would rather catch the hogs. Now perch on the other hand a nice mess of 12"ers would work this weekend.