RANGE: Bluegill range in North America extends from Canada to northern Mexico . HABITAT: Prime habitat for bluegill include weed beds, off deep points or in creek channels around sunken islands. They like quiet streams, ponds, lagoons and small to medium sized lakes.
What states are bluegill native to?
The bluegill occurs naturally in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains from coastal Virginia to Florida , west to Texas and northern Mexico, and north to western Minnesota and western New York.
Where do you find bluegills?
During the spawn, look for bluegill in 2 to 6 feet of water , often near woody cover or vegetation. Later in the summer when fish move away from spawning areas you'll find them in deeper, cooler water. But they tend to travel in bunches, strike with vengeance and fight with fury.
What type of water do bluegills live in?
Bluegills are primarily freshwater fish . They are found in warm, quiet water – ponds, lakes, reservoirs and slow moving streams and rivers – with sand, mud or gravel bottoms and plenty of aquatic vegetation in which to hide.
Do bluegills live in ponds?
Bluegills are often the first fish many anglers encounter (including me). They are common in farm and urban ponds . They're the fish kids catch with a Mickey Mouse rod, a bobber and worms.
Are bluegill healthy to eat?
Eat panfish, such as bluegill, perch, stream trout, and smelt. They feed on insects and other aquatic life and are less likely to contain high levels of harmful pollutants. Eat fewer fatty fish, such as lake trout, or fish that feed on the bottoms of lakes and streams such as catfish and carp.
What's the largest bluegill ever caught?
The Biggest Bluegill in the World
The world record bluegill recorded by IGFA or the International Gamefish Association was caught in 1950 at Ketona Lake, Alabama. This bluegill weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds 12 ounces and came in at 15 inches long with an astounding girth of 18-1⁄4 inches.
What time of year is best for bluegill fishing?
Spring and Early Summer . Bluegill spawn in spring and early summer, and this is a good time to catch them. When water temperatures exceed 70F, begin looking for spawning bluegill in shallow water.
What is a good size bluegill to keep?
usually 8 inches, but will keep 7.75 if they come from a lake where they have broad shoulders and are plentiful. Some lakes the gills are thick like red ears and you can get a thicker fillet from 7.75 inch gill than a 8.5 fish from other lakes where they are not thick.
Does bluegill taste good?
Bluegill Taste. Both these fish are pretty. ... Most anglers agree that Bluegill taste slightly better . They have more fIavor and their flesh is firmer and flakier.
How fast do bluegill multiply?
During one summer, a female bluegill can spawn three times releasing 2,300 to 81,100 eggs per spawn . This rate of reproduction is necessary to maintain adequate bass forage in a balanced bluegill/largemouth bass fishery and is why bluegill are preferred over other sunfish species.
Are bluegills aggressive?
But not all bluegill are created equal: A paper published recently in Animal Behaviour found that bluegill that more readily take the bait tend to be more sociable, and less aggressive , than those that don't. Bluegill are relatively gregarious fish and tend to hang out in groups.
Do bluegills bite humans?
VERDICT. False. There is no evidence to show bluegills are dangerous . They are a popular sport fish and eaten by many in the U.S.
Is it safe to eat bluegill from a pond?
The answer is yes and no . Like rivers and lakes, ponds provide an excellent source of food in the fishing world. ... Parasites can be found in pond fish, but are also found in lake and river fish as well. Because of the chance of parasites, fish should be cooked properly to eliminate the parasites before eating.
What human food do bluegill eat?
It is not recommended that you do it very often, but if you have a pond with bluegill you can feed them human food scraps; such as small balls of bread, corn, and crackers. But remember, they prefer worms, insects, and zooplankton .
What do bluegill eat in a pond?
Other factors can affect bluegill growth, such as number of bluegill in the lake or pond and the amount of food available, to name a few. What do they eat? Bluegills mostly feed on insects both aquatic and terrestrial . They also eat snails, small crayfish, zooplankton (microscopic animals),other fish and fish eggs.
