Pregnant Bluegills?

[Newbie]

Today I went to Nice Mill Dam to try the new line and leader from TroutMagnet.com, and for relieve some of the school stress.

I decide to bring some of those Bulegills back home and tast it for the first time, since it seems that I would never catch a bass or catfish. :o

The first one I caught, there was a big hole in the fish belly, and when I hold it by my hand there was a fountain coming from that hole, when I press, the water comes out like a fountain. I though maybe it is pregnant, or about to put the eggs, since the hole is big circle. This one was as big as my hand.

The second one, has the same phenomena, but the hole not obvious, it has one, but small, with fountain too :D

I release those too, even though their size is good because I though they might be pregnant, or about to put their eggs. I caught tens of bluegills so far, and I haven't seen such thing before.

The others were small and I released them too.

Before I left, I met old couple, the told me that I will find only smalles where I used to go, and they tell me where do they catch a catfish in around the dam. I've got a good advice.

What is this hole for? Is it good to eat them?

[StriperFan]

It sounds like that was just urine. I'm fairly sure that is a multi-purpose hole, used for both waste evacuation and reproduction. When the bluegill has egges, they are unfertilized. They don't become fertile till they are laid in the nest and then the male does his dance over the egges and fertilizes them in the open water. Same as with bass and a lot of other fish, just some have a nest and others don't. Feel free to keep any bluegill that is the size you want. There will be more to take their place. Breeding activity doesn't have any effect on taste as far as I can tell.

[Newbie]

It sounds like that was just urine. I'm fairly sure that is a multi-purpose hole, used for both waste evacuation and reproduction. When the bluegill has egges, they are unfertilized. They don't become fertile till they are laid in the nest and then the male does his dance over the egges and fertilizes them in the open water. Same as with bass and a lot of other fish, just some have a nest and others don't. Feel free to keep any bluegill that is the size you want. There will be more to take their place. Breeding activity doesn't have any effect on taste as far as I can tell.
Thanks for the information