Black Gills, KY Lake 5-31-2013

[Alphahawk]

Got up this morning and looked at radar for Pickwick Dam and it was storming. Hung around the house and at 9:30 AM made decision to head out thinking the storms would be out of there by the time I got there...and they were. I started fishing at 11:30 AM and headed up that long side walk at 4:30 PM. During those 5 hours caught right at 150 big black male Gills. All of them were over 8 inches and a lot were right at the 9 inch mark. Was hoping to get some at 10 inches but that did not happen. The girth on the bigger one laying on the box was a little over 10 inches...the girth on the 8 inch Gill was almost 9 inches. The ruler on the box is 9 inches...the box is 11 inches long. These Gills were awesome fighters and it really was fun getting them to the net. I lost some from hook pulling out that might have made the 10 inch mark....I'll never know. A lot of these fish were starting to get the knot head. The Gills were really colored up nice. I caught only 2 short crappie....and the one large mouth. The water was stained and 76 degrees. At the far end water was 79 degrees. I think half the state of Missouri took vacation at the same time as there were 6 boats in there from MO. That water will warm quick in there and next Monday through Wednesday are going to be nice days according to weather forecast.....so may just have to wear out highway 64. I didn't keep any fish......those that have been down there know how far that walk up that sidewalk is. It was a good day...hope to hit it again Monday.


Regards

[commdd]

thats a great day! nice photos and as always very informative report. why do the gills darken up like that? regards

[nomad60]

You sure do have the knack for getting into the nice gills!

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by commdd

thats a great day! nice photos and as always very informative report. why do the gills darken up like that? regards

I think that the larger males get dark because they are spawning....but not sure on that.



Regards

[MNfisher]

Awesome fish!!

[fishbait61832]

You are the GILL MASTER!

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by fishbait61832

You are the GILL MASTER!

Thanks for your comments but I just have found out over the years where the big ones hang out. On KY Lake and Pickwick Lake it is not uncommon to find a Gill bed with two to three hundred Gils on it. When you find one of those size beds...and it is shallow enough to see it.....now that is an impressive site.



Regards

[Headhunter]

a little of my history with bluegill fishing. My dad, my brother and myself have averaged about 200 bluegill a day at Kentucky lake over the last 30 years when we go. They are not hard to find when they are on bed. We fish the waverly area of the lake. We have not been in a couple years and I miss it. I always believed it was the best and maybe only place to find the bluegills like that. I never knew that Priest coule have close to the same size gills and just as many on a bed (caught over 200 off of one bed this year and several others were fishing it also). my last trip to Kentucky lake 3 years ago we fished big richland creek on Kentucky lake, never left sight of the dock and cleaned 176 gils of which about 15 were shellcrackers (the only difference I see between priest and Kentucky lake, I have caught about 10 shellcrackers over the last 3 years out of priest) but it had been about 5 or 6 years since we had been able to go Kentucky lake and fish for them and I remember that day thinking I would not miss going there to fish for bluegill. The last 3 years on Priest have been so good, I have not been back to Kentucky lake for bluegill. Kentucky lake is and probably always will be one of my favorites lakes, I have spent a world of time there, but for bluegills I may not have to spend the money anymore. I sat down and added up how good priest has been this spring, the friends, family and myself that has went his spring have cleaned well over 500 bluegill and I have found many beds that I did not fish and we never fished over 3 hours in a day on priest this year and averaged 90 or so gills a trip.

[Headhunter]

great looking fish alphahawk those look just like what we caught out of priest and what I remember about ky lake. I miss when we used to find the big ones feeding on willow flies hatches and we would catch 2 of them at a time on a fly rod. we would fish a popping bug and a dropper fly and catch of those big gils at a time, they would stop the rod for a second when you set the hook and both were on it.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by Headhunter

great looking fish alphahawk those look just like what we caught out of priest and what I remember about ky lake. I miss when we used to find the big ones feeding on willow flies hatches and we would catch 2 of them at a time on a fly rod. we would fish a popping bug and a dropper fly and catch of those big gils at a time, they would stop the rod for a second when you set the hook and both were on it.

Thanks Headhunter. Yeah KY Lake is a good place. I haven't really ever fished JPP much. I know it has some good Gills......saw your pics......and have been told by some bass guys they have seen some good ones out of there. It is closer for me than most places I go and I need to try it out. I haven't caught a May fly....or willow fly hatch in years....makes for a great time. Hopefully can get to JPP in near future.


Regards

[crappiecrazy]

Looks like you had a great day! Nice pictures! Couple of questions for the "trout magnet man". How far "up" the line do you put you split shot when you need one? Does it effect the "action" much? Do you tip the "magnet" with anything? Why would the "trout magnet" website advise to close the bail with your hand to avoid line twist?
I enjoy reading your post and others on this site.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by crappiecrazy

Looks like you had a great day! Nice pictures! Couple of questions for the "trout magnet man". How far "up" the line do you put you split shot when you need one? Does it effect the "action" much? Do you tip the "magnet" with anything? Why would the "trout magnet" website advise to close the bail with your hand to avoid line twist?
I enjoy reading your post and others on this site.

Thanks...as for closing the bail with your hand it will virtually eliminate line tangles and so called wind knots on a spinning reel. I was doing that long before I ever used a Trout Magnet. I put the size B split shot about 12 to 18 inches above the TM. If you use anything any heavier it seems to take away the action. Lots of folks don't use a split shot at all....and if the wind is dead calm I will not use one. A lot of people tip the TM with a variety of things....from wax worms to crickets. I have never found the need to do that but according to all articles I have ever read about bluegill fishing they like to mouth the bait a little before taking it all the way in....I have never seen this but I can see why someone would tip a jig if that is true. I know from fishing on the Caney when crappie hit a jig their mouth is all the way open and the tap you feel is when it is on the roof of their mouth....they just gulp it in. Hope this answers your question.


Regards

[chaseasl]

I never went there to just fish for them but I normally get me a tube of crickets and if the bass or catfish aren't hitting then the bluegill save the day.

[crappiecrazy]

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

Thanks...as for closing the bail with your hand it will virtually eliminate line tangles and so called wind knots on a spinning reel. I was doing that long before I ever used a Trout Magnet. I put the size B split shot about 12 to 18 inches above the TM. If you use anything any heavier it seems to take away the action. Lots of folks don't use a split shot at all....and if the wind is dead calm I will not use one. A lot of people tip the TM with a variety of things....from wax worms to crickets. I have never found the need to do that but according to all articles I have ever read about bluegill fishing they like to mouth the bait a little before taking it all the way in....I have never seen this but I can see why someone would tip a jig if that is true. I know from fishing on the Caney when crappie hit a jig their mouth is all the way open and the tap you feel is when it is on the roof of their mouth....they just gulp it in. Hope this answers your question.


Regards

Thanks for the good info!