May 21, 2016 4 min read

Strange as it may seem what is probably the most common and prolific fish in southwestern Pennsylvania is underfished.

Considered a fish for children that many adults seem to look down their noses at, the bluegill and other panfish are everywhere and underutilized.

On the other hand, I know some senior citizens who are aware of this feisty little fighter and fish for nothing the sunfish family. Myself while I do know better I lump all sunfish into one lump and call them all bluegill.

There are many advantages to bluegill, not the least of them is that when one goes to a pond holding them your are almost always guaranteed to go home with a good catch.

I am well aware of the fact many small bodies of water hold undersized bluegill but that situation exists because of over population. As terrible as it sounds the pond will produce larger fish if none are returned to the water after being caught.

Eat the bigger ones and use the other for pet food or fertilizer in the garden.

It sounds wasteful but isn’t because bluegill reproduce in high numbers and can overpopulate quickly.

I consider an 8-inch bluegill good, a 7-incher a maybe and anything above those a whopper. Those numbers can vary a bit based on the girth of the fish.

Bluegill should be caught on light tackle. When the angler uses the right tackle, a bluegill will give a good account of itself, much more so than some larger fish. When fishing a farm pond it doesn’t take long to tell the difference in the bass and the gill in fighting ability. The bass will head to the surface, while the bluegill will swim strongly to the side.

Another thing about the bluegill and its’ relatives is that they bite on a variety of baits. Worms are probably No. 1 but they will also attack a meal worm, maggots or even an empty hook.

Remember, you are fishing for a smaller fish so keep the bait small. These critters have tiny mouths, and like the little bait, the hook needs to be small as well.

I have watched beginners fishing for bluegill with hooks made for something like ocean tuna and are doing nothing but feeding the fish.

They can get the worm in their mouth but not the hook.

A No. 10 hook is about right for most bluegill fishing.

Luckily, there are quite a few ponds across the area and most hold a good number of these little fighters. Many times, all it takes is a knock on the door to find a place to fish and bluegill.

There is one thing to remember when fishing on private land however, and that is don’t litter. If you brought it in, take it out.

Litter is the No. 1 reason I know that pond owners will say no to people asking for permission to fish.

Good-sized bluegill can be found in public waters such as Cross Creek Lake and the local water dams, but the trick is finding good-sized ones. I think that can be done by moving around a bit.

Bluegill are one of the best-flavored fish of all. Once while in a disagreement with a trout fisherman, Mario Damico said that many trout are returned back to the stream but no one throws back a walleye.

I think the opposite can be said of bluegill, but I think this is because it doesn’t carry much meat. Regardless, here’s a hooray for this common panfish, the fish of not only children but of knowing adults.

• One of the perks of writing an article for the paper is the ability to brag a bit.

I had the good fortune to hunt with Mike Weber of Scenery Hill last week. Mike wasn’t going to shoot a turkey, saving his tag for a hunt with formner Pennsylvania Game Commission president, Denny Fredrick.

He went out with me and Mike was to call and I was to shoot. Everything went right and we had three birds gobbling and coming in.

I shot and the bird went down but started that crippled bird flopping and Mike took off like Jesse Owens combined with Jack Lambert! He made a flying tackle of the wounded long beard.

Thank goodness Mike was with me. I couldn’t have covered that distance so quickly. I really doubt the turkey would have gotten away but Mike made sure.

Be careful when outdoors this year. There seem to be a lot of wood ticks. I have had 13 walking around on me so far this year and it’s still early.

George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.