ok...be honest...how many people read this thread and say to themselves..."tomorrow I'm going to catch me a mess of bream!". lol...

All I can say, fishing for bream is a whole lot more productive than bass fishing. This is especially true if you like to eat what you catch. The "real fishermen" (those that don't own a $50,000 bass boat) can relate.

Wanna turn a typical Texas "perch" hater into a sunnie fanatic? Feed 'em a plate of 'gill nuggets with various dipping sauces... Mmm mmm mmm!

My grandpa got to where he liked gills better in the microwave than baked. He would put a little bit of butter on then a sprinkle of lemon and herbs seasoning and bacon bits. With blue gill fillets they cooked really quick(like two min) and you needed to cover from the popping but came out great and didn't add any heat to the house. with that little bit of butter and lemon an herb you could flake off some pieces of the fillet into the juice and it was incredible. I had some friends that fried them whole like that growing up banker but I've never tried anything but frying just the fillet. Looks great though!!!

@kjwolvey you should have seen the responses I got in the bass section when I posted this picture with the caption that said somebody said there was a limit on sunfish and I said they were crazy lol. Bluegill definitely get harvested at the private lakes I manage we have caught several over 2 pounds over the years I caught a red deer that was 2 pounds on a 10 inch power worm two years ago. my uncle was going to fish with me at my ponds that day. I thought he was going to meet me at the other pond so I was tearing them up for a a while and figured maybe he thought it was at the other lake. He already had the first fish on the string made it clear there would not be another invite if another bass that size was harvested but it is what it is. They all eat great.

a few mixed bags with gills from the ponds just excuse the pic of a pic that happen to be 20 year old poleroids haha. Blue gill are definitely the best eating prominent fish in Texas. Pound to two pound bass and crappie a close second if you have a place that people don't try to butcher you for keeping bass LOL.

Hey banker I have a question for when you fry them whole like that. Once you scale them do you notice the remaining skin of the fish? Or do you fork it off the skin?

Thanks Robert for the replies. Love those pictures. Treasured Memories right there for a life time and thanks for sharing em. As for your question once you scale em,cut the heads off,and gut em,you are good to go. The skin is pretty thin and super good to eat. The meat separates it's self from both the bones and skin pretty good. As always while eating Gills you need to watch for bones! Nothing beats a FRESH BATCH OF BLUEGILL!

nice

Sure wish I wouldn't have looked at this thread, now I'm really hungry!

Good job banker-always fishing!

I always wondered that. We always Filleted them with the electric knife got to where it looked like the cartoon fish skeleton when you got done didn't lose much meat even on bluegill. They fry quick and they sure do eat good

Oh banker don't be shocked if I pester you to take me out after those rios and gills if I get down that way. Probably bring my flyrod lol.

Thanks for the reply! Yes Sir a plate of fried Bluegill is very hard to BEAT!

Give me shout (Shoot me a PM) and let me know! The Rio bite should be picking up pretty soon!


Side Note: Lots of Fly Rod records open!

Will do! You use one of the knife shaped scalers or a spoon. I have had several that requested me to bring whole fish I always had better luch with the medal spoon my self. It seamed to pry them right off.