Listen everyone, when I started this thread, the act of going out to catch sunfish, unless for bait, was weird (odd, unusual, different) to me. If that hurts your feelings I am sorry.

I have since said that using a fly rod to catch bigger ones would be fun and I have also said that I would like to come to the sunfish get together so I can see what the fuss is about.


It is not like I got on here and called everyone a bunch of dumbarses and said I would never even think of targetting bluegill.

Its ok cbump. We're kinda use to other anglers looking down their nose at us lowly bream anglers. It hurts man! Catfisherman and Bassers call bream bait and laugh at us, but every once and a while we get hold of one of you big fish guys and take you fishing for small fish and you can't stop smiling for a week. One of my oldest fishing buddies is a hard core cat man that called bream bait and laughed at me. Took him out to catch Readears on a fence row 8' down and now he always wants to tag along. He's still a hard core cat man, but he has told me its a fun way to switch things up, and he says what everyone else here says: Bream taste better!! I like to fish for just about anything that swims, but I LOVE to fish for Bream! Some people like chocolate some like vanilla, but we all love ice cream!

Well said jagg!

+1

Allow me to put in my 2 cents worth. I have recently gotten back into fishing after years of raising (and working to pay for) 7 kids (yours, mine, & ours). I found an old boat like I've wanted all my life, stick steering, 40 horse motor, fixed it up and rigged out like I wanted so I could enjoy going without having to put out a lotta bucks.

I took my 12 year old daughter, our youngest, out for our first time together to catch a few bream after a friend and I had located them. The excitement she showed after catching 8 (she counted them) that day made the trips I made with my dad come back to me.

I don't have the luxury of being able to fish with my dad any longer, but I hope after I'm gone she'll be able to remember that hot July afternoon and savor the memory of her daddy like I have mine.

So I guess it's partially nostalgic but hopefully I've seen the beginnings of my daughters lifelong addiction to something not harmful. She even said it was more fun than playing on the computer!!

I love bream........

That is awesome! My daughter loves to catch them too.

Got any pics?

Quote of the day!

I'll get some next time. Maybe I'll even remember to get the camera out of the truck this time.

Enjoy her while she still likes to hang out with her Dad. She'll learn to say "But, Daddy!!!...." and go from kindergarten to college graduate before you know it.

Bluegills are good to eat!

Absolutely!! You & Bbrown couldn't have said it better. I hit Toledo each year and try to hit the first full moon if not the second in May just for the bull bream spawn and target those bad boys for a 2-3 days. Fly rod or ultralight spinning on 2-4lb test line and have a ball!

Just need to get to Fairfield next year and get in those bigger bad boys!

Besides the fight, and if they could reach the size of black bass, you'd have to have a fork-lift to get them in! Plus the eating end of it is a flavor and texture on its own.

For me it is time, if I have less than an hour to catch some dinner I'll go after bluegill just because they are easy to catch and it doesn't take much. If I have more time, I'll set up catfish rods, go after other species too. If crappie hung out in 2' of water all year I'd probably never fish for bluegill, except for the fact I think bluegill fry up just a bit tastier.

So do y'all all just fry them or eat them other ways too?

gut em' scale em'

put em' on a fire

then pick em' apart!

the tail all crunch, mmmmmmmm!

****Voice of any old Fart over the age of 65****

Fry 'em CRISP!......Eat the whole thing!

yes the fins taste good fried, the eyeballs and brains arent bad either.