Saw a GIANT Blue-gill - How big can they get?

[Benito]

Was out at a pond yesterday, going for Bass as ususal.......I saw what I thought was a solid 2-3 pounder, then as I got close I realized it was a Bluegill/Bream.....

I don't ever fish for them, only Bass, but see them near shore all the time. This was by FAR the biggest I've ever seen - I mean double or triple anything I've ever seen before....

It was not a crappie or anything else - saw it very clearly, and was the same regular type of bluegill/bream that I usually see at this and most other ponds I fish, but this thing was a freakin' GIANT!

How big can/do these get? I've read about something called "Georgia Giants" that are specially bred, but this pond hasn't been stocked with anything in nearly 20 years I believe......

I'm guessing this thing was 2 pounds or more - how unusual is that for a bluegill?

Thanks-

BEN

 

[Cletus T.]

They can get pretty big and yea….those Ga. Giants are bred to be huge but a 2-pound run of the mill pond bream is a big fish for sure. That 52-bass day we had a couple weeks ago, I caught a bream that weighed 12 ozs. And it tried to eat a fluke so bream can get big!

I’m sure there are some very knowledgeable bream guys on here that can tell you better info.

You should have caught it Benitto!

 

[TurkeyManiac]

Possibly a super bluegill. They enginerr a hybrid kind here in GA. I'll see about a pic... Tey get to be 3-5lbs though. You might have just seen a very large normal bream. We catch them over a pound on a regular basis...

"A Certificate of Registration is issued on request with the purchase of the Georgia Giant Hybrid Bream.

Georgia Giants® can be stocked at the rate of 1,000 per acre if you do not feed nor aerate or, 2,000 to 3,000 per surface acre if fed, or up to 5,000 per acre if fed and aerated.

In combination, Georgia Giant® Hybrid Bream, Channel Catfish, and Bass grow well together. Stock a ratio of 5 Georgia Giants® to 1 Channel Catfish per acre. The reason for the ration is that the Georgia Giants® are more apt to be caught as they are vigorous feeders and aggressive biters. Stock Georgia Giants® and Channel Catfish first, then several months later, stock Bass. This will allow the bream and catfish to grow large enough the Bass won't eat them. Stock Bass at the ration of 1 Bass to 5 Bream. It is ESSENTIAL to stock Bass to control reproduction.

Over population of the Bream will occur if Bass are not stocked. Bass feed on a live diet making them a natural predator of Bream. We do not recommend stocking baby fish in a pond already stocked with big fish. Baby fish can be grown in cages or small ponds until they are large enough to be safely stocked with big fish."

 

[Benito]

Thanks....

Yeah, I tried for awhile to catch it with a small plastic worm - didn't know what else to throw at her, as I rarely fish for them unless I've got the kids.

Should have tried to dig up a real worm, I guess......Only had Bass-stuff.....This thing was something else.

 

[TurkeyManiac]

I did loose a bream on a rattle trap 3 weeks ago that would go more than 2lbs.

 

[Dustin Pate]

Go get a mess of crickets..I have yet to find a bluegill that could stand a live cricket.

 

[Ricky]

It might be a shellcracker,the record is just over 4 lbs.The Bluegill record is just over 3 lbs.Try some red wigglers

 

[Bart Sims]

Ga. State Record Bluegill
3 lbs. 5 oz.
P.F. Gumm
Shamrock Lake
July 3, 1977

 

[redneckcamo]

Ga giants ...... wholelottafun ritetare !!!

 

[redneckacorn]

My dad stocked his pond with GG Bream a few years ago and they fed them well, still do. They are nice to catch but when they breed you don't get GG Bream at all, they are mostly runts, you need predators like bass to eat all those or you just end up with small to normal, mostly small bream. But it's a blast when you catch one and have trouble getting him off the hook because he's to big to get your hand around. I had one hooked Saturday that broke 4 lb test on my ultra light and I never saw him.
Whats better though is when you get into some red bellys that are naturally big like that, they fight much better. I usually find them around Cypress trees this time of year. I'm not a patient feller but I can fish all day if I find those.
Also it's not cheap to feed them either, especially if you expect to have any close to the size in the picture above, it's like watching a feeding frenzy when they get to eating the food thats thrown out for them. We throw the cast net for them to get flathead bait on the weekends, it doesn't take long to have plenty of bait.

 

[Money man]

My dad stocked his pond with GG Bream a few years ago and they fed them well, still do. They are nice to catch but when they breed you don't get GG Bream at all, they are mostly runts, you need predators like bass to eat all those or you just end up with small to normal, mostly small bream. But it's a blast when you catch one and have trouble getting him off the hook because he's to big to get your hand around. I had one hooked Saturday that broke 4 lb test on my ultra light and I never saw him.
Whats better though is when you get into some red bellys that are naturally big like that, they fight much better. I usually find them around Cypress trees this time of year. I'm not a patient feller but I can fish all day if I find those.
Also it's not cheap to feed them either, especially if you expect to have any close to the size in the picture above, it's like watching a feeding frenzy when they get to eating the food thats thrown out for them. We throw the cast net for them to get flathead bait on the weekends, it doesn't take long to have plenty of bait.

I don't own a pond but if I did, I read some time ago about a great way to get the bream population up and fed well. I am assuming the pond would be a little ways from the house as to avoid the smell. But here is what the article said:

Find some fresh road kill, tie a rope to it and use a tree limb to hang it over the water. As the flies come and do what they do best, their larvae will fall into the water and the bream will feast on them. Pros: Cheap and easy. Cons: Well, you have a dead stinky road kill hanging from a branch over your pond. You decide! As we always say, Good, cheap, fast, pick two!