The humble bluegill has a place in the hearts and memories of most freshwater anglers, and if you’re anything like us,one of these feisty little fish probably got you hooked for life!While many of us graduate to bigger and “better” species like bass, spending sundown chasing bluegills as an adultis no less exciting than it was as a kid. And if you have a young angler or two in your family, casting into a pile ofbluegill and pulling fish after fish into your boat is a great way to build a love of angling in the next generation. Thebluegill,Lepomis macrochirus, is a common panfish native to the United States. Particularly common east of theRockies, it can be found in pretty much anybody of fresh water, from small ponds to large lakes, streams, creeks,and rivers.Anywhere you find fresh water and plenty of aquatic vegetation, you’ve got a good chance of catching bluegill.Bluegill have slender, flattened bodies that are rounded behind the head, ending in a tapered tail. Typically rangingfrom 4 to 12 inches, lengths of 6 to 8 are the most common. They can grow up to 16 inches long, however, and thebiggest bluegill ever recorded weighed-in at an astonishing 4 pounds, 12 ounces! Strong swimmers blessed with a finconfiguration that allows rapid acceleration, sudden stops, and incredible maneuverability, bluegillsare well equippedto avoid predators. That doesn’t mean they don’t play a major part in the food chain, however, and the aggressive fishnative to the same waters depend on them throughout the year.From bass and muskie to alligators and birds, bluegillsarea common prey item. But they’re also voracious predators,in their own right,feeding on aquatic insects and invertebrates of all kinds. Common food items for bluegill includecrawfish, leeches, fish (including small bluegill), and any insect foolish enough to land on the water.Though they possess a lateral line allowing them to detect the vibrations of prey, bluegill are predominantly sightpredators. The hours surrounding dawn and dusk are prime times, but I’ve had bluegill bite pretty much anytime thesun was up! Contrary to what you might expect, evenings are usually slightly better than mornings, as the bluegill’sfeeding cycle peaks later in the day
