Whats a keeper?

[Bo Beaver]

I grew up cleaning 6"+ gills. They're not that bad.

[3300]

any thing you want to clean is a keeper.

[clintonstick]

i keep a meal or 2 ,My wife scales bluegills fries them whole serves on rice with sweet and sour sauce.MMM i need some gills,i think they are the finest eating fish.

[spoofhoundicefisher]

fish mainly ponds and for the health of the ponds no gills go back into the ponds.  love to have fish fry's also so clean as many as we can catch and many hands make quick work of lots of gills.  you get good at cleaning with all the little ones.  boys gotta learn some how to work an electric fillet knife.

[Iceassin]

Depends on the fishery but most lakes I fish, 7" and above. But there are a couple of lakes that unless they're 9"+...they go back.

[Unclegillhunter]

7” to 8” if Inwant a meal. If I want a meal I don’t mind cleaning a limit which here is 15 panfish. If the fish is much over 9” it goes back in for the next time to see if it gotten to 10”.
Keep it safe! JDL

[blakemohr]

7-8", anything 9" and over goes back for the health of the fishery.  If they're particularly thick fish, I might keep 6 inchers.

[Stickhick86]

The owner of the pond where I fish for gills told me to stop throwing them back because they are getting over populated so all gills are keepers