Some swimmers say that bluegill actually bite them when swimming. I've never experienced that, but others swear by it, so keep that in mind.
Look closely at Sunil's thumbnail photo. Rumor has it, that it pictures him in his actual swimming attire. The heavy jacket and the black, long-distance hole punching device are quite a deterrent to most bluegill!
Lots of people in the forum (including myself) do report that bluegill like to nip swimmers. However, bluegill are the backbone of many productive fishing lakes in the U.S.
There are many threads on the forum that discuss blocking nets, etc. to exclude fish from certain areas of the pond. It may be possible for you to have your bluegills and have you eat THEM, rather than the other way around!
Good luck on your new pond project!
