Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Show off your catch Bob Lusk, The Pond Boss can raise big bluegill

Bruce Condello showing off a big bluegill raised by Bob Lusk at Richmond Mill. As you can see, these brutes will attack a small fish due to their size and agressiveness.

Bruce, which strain of BG is that?

Great looking fish! (I hear Jaws music!)

I am pretty sure that's a northern strain, and not a coppernose. I'll try to pull up a couple of other pictures, but Richmond Mill produces monsters of both primary strains.

Bruce, in my experience, BG attacking small fish is common, and not just for the large BG. I've caught 6" BG on small crankbaits that mimic a small fish too. Last Spring I caught a 10" BG in my pond on an 2 1/2" imitation BG crankbait marketed under the LIVETAEGET name:

http://www.koppersfishing.com/products/freshwater/bluegill-crank.php#

I concur with Scott on this. I have 4" to 6" BGs hitting my Rapala X shad that's 3.5" long while trolling at Lake Perris. They were Florida strain BG. Their stomachs were larger than their mouths can offer.

Leo, there's some pretty big RES in there too.......

When I lived in So. Cal. I hit a number of the inland lakes/reservoirs along with spending a wee bit of time on the Ocean.

It's been my experience that light fishing pressure produces BG that will attack crankbaits and the like of larger sizes than one would typically think. I suspect the fishing pressure on the BG in Richmond Mill isn't very intense.

BG of all subspecies tend to become darker sometimes almost black when they are in acidic waters like Richmond Mill.

That is certainly a very fine specimen. I look at that and think to myself, if I was Bob, have I hit the pinnacle of my career? Wow, those are beautiful bruisers.

As for crankbaits, I catch a fair number of bluegill on them, using lures about the same size shown. Unfortunately, the fish I catch just don't look anywhere big, even using the Super Enhanced Condello System (SECS).

As I recall, when the Pond Boss traveling lures were going around the world a few years ago, quite a few of us, to include DIED, EWEST, Todd3138, me, and others, the "broke-back" Rapala caught quite a few bluegill.

Ken, speaking of those, where are they now?

Didn't somebody turn them into Christmas ornaments for Debbie's and Bob's Christmas tree? If not maybe either Todd L or JHAP may know.

How much does that weigh?
Dan

That was probably one of the 3 pounders that Bruce caught at Richmond Hill.