Biggest Bluegill Ever Caught

The biggest Bluegill ever caught weighed 5 lbs and 7 oz. It was caught in 1998 by Amos Gray in South Carolina. Majority of Bluegills weigh half a pound. The average length is six to eight inches.

Location

The Bluegill was originally a freshwater fish. Today, the species has been transplanted to various locations around the world. They also make for good sport fish. New anglers like Bluegill because they are easy to catch. They can also be eaten.

Features

The name is derived from the bluish color on the gills. Sometimes the color is more black than blue. Instead of a gill, some call it an ear instead. In terms of appearance it is similar to other fish.

What distinguishes the Bluegills are the vertical lines at the fish’s sides. The shape is invariably rounded and thin. This is characteristic of a tropical fish.

Diet

What the biggest Bluegill ever caught ate is unknown. But most Bluegill feed on invertebrates. Some variants however, feed on smaller fish.

Characteristics

The Bluegill traverses the seas in schools of 25. Breeding time is around the middle of the year. One of the more fascinating features of the bluegill is it can change color.

At breeding time the male Bluegill will color and appear like a female. This minimizes aggression from other male Bluegills. This allows the fish to go in fish nests for breeding purposes.

Pests and Sport Fish

Generally, the fish is popular among fishermen. But Europeans and the Japanese generally consider them as pests. The fish is not native to those places; they were introduced there decades ago. Since that time, the Bluegill has wrecked havoc on the native fish in those areas.

In North America, the Bluegill is highly regarded as a sport / game fish. Anglers use various kinds of bait to capture it. Live bait is often used, but chicken may be used along with it. The most effective baits are those that are colored brightly. The Bluegill can also be used as bait for bigger fish.

Most of the time, catching Bluegill is easy. But some species are capable of removing bait from the hook. One of the characteristics of the fish is they nibble baits. This in contrast with other fish that gobble the bait whole.

The biggest Bluegill ever caught was incredibly large compared to the average. Trying to break this record can be hard as Bluegills of this size tend to struggle.