What part of Indiana do you live in? Have you ever fished Yellowwood Lake in Brown County? 50 years ago that lake had the biggest bluegill I have ever seen. And tiny mouths. People used 15' cane poles to fish for them so that they could get the exact depth every time. I think I managed one.
That's in Southern Indiana. I'm in northeastern Indiana. I doubt it's that good now as we have no bag limits on bluegills and bluegills are fished really hard here. Early in the history of reservoirs here, the bluegill fishing is phenomenal, and then it declines as the fish hogs descend on the lakes and keep hundreds. You can't fish out bluegills due to their fecundity, but you can reduce their overall size by heavy fishing pressure. The long cane pole technique is old but extremely effective for drifting for suspended bluegills. Typically they set two of them, one on each side of the boat and drift. The long poles keep your lines from going under the boat as you drift.
you must not get around much, I know several lakes that get hammered and still produce gills up to 10", occasionally bigger. Same lakes consistently produce 10" ears with some up to 12" or bigger. Maybe not in your neck of the woods, but Indiana panfishing overall is pretty dam good.
Early in the history of reservoirs here, the bluegill fishing is phenomenal, and then it declines as the fish hogs descend on the lakes and keep hundreds. You can't fish out bluegills due to their fecundity, but you can reduce their overall size by heavy fishing pressure.
Surprised there's not a bag limit on bluegill/panfish in your state given the apparent popularity. Even NH adopted a 25 fish/person limit about 10-15 years ago after it was discovered people were filling 55 gal drums with crappie and bringing them back to VT/NY to sell on the black market. Personally, I think 25 crappie or white perch (or bluegill, for that matter) is too many, should be 10-12 as I see it (just my $.02).
Agreed! I think all the states around us have a bag limit except us. What's odd is I knew a couple of biologists and even a biologist in charge of thee northern region of my state (now retired) that didn't have a problem with a bag limit, with the head guy pushing for one but couldn't get it approved. One of the biologists told me about a guy that called him up and wondered what happened to all the red-ears in a channel they fish every year. He said we caught 400 big ones last year where are they? The biologist replied, "You probably caught them all." There was even a statement from the state recently to the effect that with modern electronics and modern fishing techniques it is agreed there is more pressure, but still no approval of a bag limit. It comes up every time we have public input for rule changes, and either gets knocked down or no reason is given.
Not interested in getting in a pissing match or listen to your bragging, but can assure you the quantity and size is not what it was 20 or 30 years ago when I fished about every natural lake in Northern Indiana, and took in about 100 fish a year as a taxidermist. Stopped seeing many 7 to 8 pound bass an about 20 years ago too. I also did some work for the INDNR on lakes. And no I don't get around much anymore due to ailing parents.I can still catch 10 inch plus bluegills on Clear Lake East of Fremont, but have to be off the lake by 9 A.M. or get run over by speed boats. Out east where I go on vacation, and most of the locals shun bluegills, you can't imagine the size and quality in some of the lakes there. It's all about fishing pressure.
wow that's a little excessive but whatever bud. You aren't talking to a kid, I have been fishing for well over 40 years. I'm not bragging at all, just stating facts. I'm sure some bodies of water near you may be wiped out from over fishing but that isn't the case for all bodies of water in indiana. I know this from actual fishing experience.
Well I sure hope the fishing's been good and that you've otherwise enjoyed your stay so far.
Perhaps I did go overboard in my response. If so my apologies. But when you say things like "You don't get out much do you?" expect someone to get defensive. And I'm a little sensitive about getting out due to my situation where I don't have much of a life anymore taking care of my elderly parents of which one has dementia and depression and has had a heart attack, brain bleed from a fall, and a stroke. And then there's here Parkinson's like symptoms. She can no longer walk and can't do her restroom duties by herself. I'm on vacation thanks to the help of a couple of siblings, but there was still a bad event with my mother while I was gone. She was on the floor and my dad no longer has the strength to get her back up. My sister has a bad back but they somehow managed.
X2.
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Topic: Will be in Mass June 12 to the 18th! (Read 3188 times)
