Is there anywhere within say 75 miles from the Fort Hood-Killeen area where you can find Florida strain or other large bluegill/sunfish type species? I used to catch some huge bluegill in Medina lake in the late 80s and early 90s around the 1 pound size give or take a few oz. Now that I have taken up fly fishing & fly tying I have filled up a tackle box with around 150 or so hand tied panfish flies and would love to find some of those saddle blanket gills to drop a fly in front of.

P.S. I'm just looking to catch and release (with maybe a picture or two). I for obvious reasons don't want to have a part in fishing out a good hole. If I want meat.... I usually go for catfish or to the coast. I just want to see what it feels like to catch some big gills on a fly rod because pound for pound they are the most powerful fish I have found. But I do not want to drive all day there and back to find em.

I do not know if they are Florida Strain Bluegill but Still House Hollow in Belton, Brazos River Waco area, and the Lampasas River have good numbers of nice Bluegill.

SteveBob ...Never heard the term "Florida strain" bluegill before. Tried doing some research on the internet & & found next to nothing. I did see that the Coppernose bluegill was sometimes referred to as a Florida strain, but others said it was just common to "southern" states. I know Florida strain bass is common, but not sure about bluegill ? Anyone have any insight or more information ?

When I was in NC I was told there was a specific strain, breed, type, or what have you of brim, bluegill, sunfish or panfish that were called Florida Strain. Maybe it was just a local moniker for a huge sun fish. I'm not sure, but the name stuck in my mind. Later on in the 90s I read about a company that would sell fish for stock ponds and they called one of the types of fish they stocked "Florida strain bluegill". That cemented the name in my mind. Either way or other..... I just want to catch some BIG bluegills like the ones I caught in Medina lake back in the late 1980s. Average size was 3/4 to 1 1/4 lb. Of course 1 lb and above were the exception but 1 or 2 out of 10 were not uncommon.They were yellow to orange behind the gill plates to the tail below the lateral line. They were bright green to blue from the gills to the tail above the lateral line. Red throat. They had blueish green fins with a white line along the back of the lower fins like an 1/8" pinstripe. The dorsal fin was almost black and In the sun they were very pretty to look at. Almost like they were made of jewels. They were thick and fought better than any fish I had ever caught in that size range. All I know is that they would be a blast on ultralight tackle and on a long flyrod they would feel like a 30+ redfish on a Zebco 202. LOL!!! I guess I could head to Medina lake and try but my health makes such a drive pretty hard on me.

They looked a lot like this except for the colors.

I just talked to a friend from back when I was stationed at Ft Sam Houston... When I fished Medina... He says they were hybrid bluegills a cross between bluegill and a sunfish to make them larger or something.

SteveBob...Hybrid sounds right...Are you looking for a place you can fish from a boat or from the shore ?

kayak or shore. Either would work.

I've never heard the term "Florida strain" as applied to bluegills. The copper nosed bluegill is native to Florida and has been established in many areas of Texas. It grows to large sizes and is an outstanding fly rod fish. The fish pictured does not appear to me to be a copper nose, nor does it show the classic characteristics of hybrid bluegills....just looks like a native bluegill to me.

Fly fishing for them is so much fun! I never get tired of it. Hope you find that honey hole and take care of it as you mentioned.

Redear can get big and mean...just haven't targetted that species in a while.

I stumble onto coppernose at Lake Conroe. Below is one I pulled out a few weeks ago. 9.25 inches.

Thank you and you ae probably right I just grabbed the picture off the www. It was the closest I could find to the ones I used to catch. Maybe my memory is a bit fuzzy. it has been over 3 decades. As I mentioned the Florida strain thing came from things I have heard and or read in the past. To me a Bluegill is everything from a quarter size up to around 10 or so inches.. I could not tell a red ear from a pumpkin seed. All I truly know is that they were bigger, stronger, thicker, and tougher than any bluegill I have ever had on the end of my line and would love to catch some more.

SteveBob...I sent you a PM...

Plus !.

Banker,

I appreciate what you are saying but I have yet to find a place on Belton or Stillhouse Lake where I can get more than one or two at best but I do appreciate your response.

Vogey,

I got your message and I replied.