4/4/08--Big Bluegill on a 'strange' bait...

[Lightninrod]

Fished a couple of hours around the shore of one of my former boss's ponds this afternoon.  Sunny with clouds and wind----gusts up to 30 mph and air temps in the low 80s.

Caught a couple of 1 lb Bass on an almost weightless Swimming Senko.  No pics of them but then my 7' Kistler Medium LTA Helium rod bent over after my third hookest.  Thought I had a nice, heavy Bass but I got a surprise in that it was a big Bluegill.....on the same Swimming Senko that the two Bass ate.

I've caught a few other gils out of this pond and they were respectable but this one beat them all.  Usually, I'd catch them on a hardbait of some kind but not this one.

Click on the pics for better resolution:

Swimming Senko gill

Biggun

Autographed

Dan

[MaxDal]

Gee that's a big bluegill.... and on a swimmin' senko too. She had to be hungry or protecting something.

[.dsaavedra.]

wow thats very cool. those bluegills fight VERY hard for their size. if bluegills grew to 5lbs, i'd probably drop bass fishing and fish for them!  ;D

that reminds me of the time my dad got a bluegill that was a little bit smaller than yours, but he caught it on a 7.5" power worm and a 3/0 worm hook!

[burleytog]

I didn't know Bill Dance fished Daiwa reels. ;D

[JayW]

Nice one! I've caught some big ones on plastic worms, top waters and even spinnerbaits.

[Lightninrod]

Nice one! I've caught some big ones on plastic worms, top waters and even spinnerbaits.

Yep, me too but never on a 5" Senko, Swimming or the original :-?.

Ya got me Burley .

Thanks for the looks and the replies y'all.

Dan

[Vyron]

nice bluegill Dan

I missed ur postings

[Sam]

In southern Virginia, along the North Carolnia border, we have the Nottoway River.

Living in the Nottoway are Shellcrackers, a/k/a Redear Sunfish.

Shellcrackers grow to be large in the Nottoway River.

I was fishing with a friend in a tournament on the Nottoway when he landed one that we weighed-in at our tournament weigh-in and he weighed one and a half pounds.

I think he was caught on a finesse worm fishing along the shore.

Fishing for Shellcrackers is one of the methods guys use on the Nottoway. It is a lot of fun and you will be surprised at the size of these Redear Sunfish.

[JayW]

Nice one! I've caught some big ones on plastic worms, top waters and even spinnerbaits.

Yep, me too but never on a 5" Senko, Swimming or the original :-?.

Dan

Neither have I. That's a nice one for sure! Have you ever tried fishing that pond with light spinning tackle and small jigs? I bet it would be a blast!

[Yakfish]

Wow, that's a fat blue gill. One question though...what's all that green stuff on the ground and in the trees in the background?

[Lightninrod]

ls1:  Ask Randall; I won't fish with spinning gear .  I've caught several Bass there using a shaky-head and a wacky jig in the smaller sizes.

;D@Yak!

Check out this Ika-caught Crappie[from another pond]

Dan

[hercdoc]

When I met my wife in Albuquerque, New Mexico...I was wearing the exact same shirt!  Nice Bream by the way

[JayW]

Wow! Nice Spec! That's a neat looking pond you're fishing too!

[Lightninrod]

When I met my wife in Albuquerque, New Mexico...I was wearing the exact same shirt!  Nice Bream by the way

I hope you're not referring to the Crappie pic!

[Infidel.]

That's awesome!  Makes me wish I had a pic of the huge redear I caught on a 1/2oz super spot.  

[ba7ss3in]

In southern Virginia, along the North Carolnia border, we have the Nottoway River.

Living in the Nottoway are Shellcrackers, a/k/a Redear Sunfish.

Shellcrackers grow to be large in the Nottoway River.

I was fishing with a friend in a tournament on the Nottoway when he landed one that we weighed-in at our tournament weigh-in and he weighed one and a half pounds.

I think he was caught on a finesse worm fishing along the shore.

Fishing for Shellcrackers is one of the methods guys use on the Nottoway. It is a lot of fun and you will be surprised at the size of these Redear Sunfish.

I hear yah, they are some mean critters. I have caught them on jerkbait.