Ahhh Buddies ! Unbelievable ! :-) 2025
Fish Chris reply :
Well first off, you knew I had to go back and try for those giant Sunfish again this week, of course.... But honestly, my experience with bedding sunfish has often been, "here today, gone the next".... let alone a full week later. I was giving myself maybe a 25% chance that they would still be there.
None the less, I bought myself four 15 packs of mini-crawlers, and went for it. I pulled up to my spot at about 11am, and made my first cast. About 15 seconds later, there goes my line... Stick ! I catch a drag ripping 1 lb'ish Bluegill. Can't get too excited on the first cast / first fish, as we have all done that, then never stuck another one all day, right ? Second cast.... 30 seconds later... tick... there goes my line... stick ! Another nice 1 lb'ish Bluegill.
Well, by about the 5th fish, it was pretty obvious they were still here.... Except for 1 thing; They were all nice Bluegills, but no big Red Ears ?
Anyway, I think it was about my 6th or 7th fish, when I stuck one that felt really heavy, but not as fast. Just dogging for the bottom. Finally got it up to the boat, and it was a monster Bluegill ! Really thick across the back..... but hollow in the belly {it didn't look spawned out, but rather, like an OLD beat up, male}. Lumpy... pretty poor looking... but none the less, it went 2.0 lbs ! My new PB Bluegill.
Yes, of course I took some photos, but they just don't show the size.... and beside the next trophy sized PB I would later catch, just not worth posting.
After that, I found that the Red Ears were still in the area, they had just moved farther out. Once I figured that out, I started sticking a bunch of nice legit 2 lb Red Ears 
Geeez, these things fight SOO hard !
Finally, at about 3:30, I stick one that literally rips off 40 feet of line, then just starts hugging the bottom. Honestly, I was thinking it might be a Bass, as it didn't do the short rapid little head shakes like most sunfish. But anyway, with 4 lb mono leader, I just babied the heck out of it. Finally, as I got it close to the boat, it rolled to one side, and I was like, "holy $%#$ ! Look at that belly" ! Of course I didn't even attempt to pick it up by the line, as I have with some of the others pushing 2 lbs.
Instead, I put my hand under it's gut, and gently held the line to keep it stable. As I brought it over the rail, I was already thinking this was probably my new PB Redear.....
So, I have this 2 gallon pale, which conveniently weighs 1.0 lb. I placed the fish in the bucket, then hooked the handle.... and, yea' buddies ! Minus the 1 lb bucket, she went 3.2 lbs ! Measured her at 14 1/2". Finally got my 3 lb+ Redear Only took 46 years !
Of course I had to get some good photos of her...... But their is only one messed up part to all of this.... > This was the one fish I caught today, which I would have most wanted to have released, but after a hard fight, and photos, she was just too worn out, and didn't make it 
Oh well.
I did actually end up keeping 16 of them though, which weighed a total of 32.7 lbs ! A straight up 2 lb average.... and I weighed, and released 3 more after the BIG one, that were 2.0, 2.1, and 2.3 lbs.
If I had to guess, for the whole trip, I probably caught 40 Sunfish, for a total of 65 lbs !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay..... So, photo's, or it didn't happen, right ? 
I thought they came out really good....
Tomorrow I'm going to play around with print sizes, until I can make this shot print to actual size.... then have Costco put it on a 12" x 18"
And I think this one is just begging for a larger print, too Ya' know guys, I've taken just a few fish photos in the last 40 years, but honestly, I think this has to rank right up next to my very best, all species included. What do you think ?
Geeez, that was just an absolute kick
Peace,
Fish
PS, I just got done eating a plate of Redear fillets, and Strawberry / Blackberry oatmeal for desert (sugar free, of course Absolutely screaming good !!!!
00 mod reply :
WOW!!!! Great story, congrats on the new PB, good eats and GREAT photos!
Jeff
Bankbeater reply :
WTG!!
What have they been eating to get so big??
MaineBassMan reply :
Holly Cow man! Those things are huge! What the heck are you all feeding those things? They are a beautiful fish and yes that is one of the best fish pictures, the colors are amazing.
ICU812 reply :
Good God man where'd you get the miniature tape measure? 
Those are the biggest sunfish I had ever seen I had no idea they got so big. I mean r u kidding me??? lol
hookingem reply :
WOW! Now all you need is that nine pound smallie! 
Siebert Outdoors reply :
wow, those are some good gills.
1234567 reply :
Awesome fish! I don't know if I'd bass fish anymore with those bigguns swimming around. Well, I still would!
Brent1 reply :
Awesome fish! Did someone take the pictures for you or did you use a tripod?
Fish Chris reply :
Much thanks guys
Brent, I took this shot, of myself, by myself, as is usually the case. I really feel like I can take better fish photos this way, without having somebody in my way.
Peace,
Fish
endless reply :
Besides those great fishes how that weight loss going. You look in tremendous shape. WTG and congrats on both achievements.
Fish Chris reply :
Hey Endless, well the weight loss per say is kind of old news now, as I was down to my lightest weight, of 192 almost exactly 1 year ago > but I was still in pretty lousy shape {what they call, skinny-fat... 23% body fat}. Since then, I've bulked up (purposely) twice, and I'm just about at the end of my second cut now. And while I'm weighing about 10 lbs more than I did 1 year ago, my body fat % is now down to about 13.5% (the lowest in my life).
So, I feel like I'm doing great > But I have a LONG ways to go. My 50 year old goal (38 months from now) is to be 225 @ 9% BF. I know that's pretty crazy, but I'm the type of guy that has to be pushing as hard as he can for the top.... or else I'm falling quickly to the bottom. No in-betweens for me. Not saying this is "good".... It's just me.
Peace,
Fish
On 6/29/2011 at 1:57 AM, endless said:Besides those great fishes how that weight loss going. You look in tremendous shape. WTG and congrats on both achievements.
endless reply :
Yea I remember the post just never knew been that long. I remeber also you was to post some pics but I never seen known but man seeing these it's just amazing.On 6/29/2011 at 2:59 AM, Fish Chris said:Hey Endless, well the weight loss per say is kind of old news now, as I was down to my lightest weight, of 192 almost exactly 1 year ago > but I was still in pretty lousy shape {what they call, skinny-fat... 23% body fat}. Since then, I've bulked up (purposely) twice, and I'm just about at the end of my second cut now. And while I'm weighing about 10 lbs more than I did 1 year ago, my body fat % is now down to about 13.5%
So, I feel like I'm doing great > But I have a LONG ways to go. My 50 year old goal (38 months from now) is to be 225 @ 9% BF. I know that's pretty crazy, but I'm the type of guy that has to be pushing as hard as he can for the top.... or else I'm falling quickly to the bottom. No in-betweens for me. Not saying this is "good".... It's just me.
Peace,
Fish
Mattlures reply :
FC those are big PB's. I wish I rememberd what mine were exactly. I think my PB gill is right around 2lbs and I think my PB red ear was about 2.5lbs. A 3lber is a giant! congrats on those. If you have a little money saved up you should get some reproductions for them. Those ARE trophy fish.
Big-O reply :
Excellent outing for sure and Congrats Chris on those awesome Catches!
Big O
www.ragetail.com
Fishmaster10 reply :
That red ear is huge! Congrats
hookingem reply :
Chris I want to see that 2 pound Gill. I think big Gills are downright gorgeous!
Fish Chris reply :
Well.... most are.... but this one was pretty old and wore out. I don't think the photo shows the size well at all... but if you insist....
Peace,
Fish
On 6/29/2011 at 10:32 AM, hookingem said:Chris I want to see that 2 pound Gill. I think big Gills are downright gorgeous!
Hooked_On_Bass reply :
Wow, congrats Fish Chris! Nice work.
Fat-G reply :
God if gills got to 10+ pounds we would never bass fish. It would be so easy, too. They're just not the brightest fish.
Unreal fish man!
J Francho reply :
Congrats Chris - hard work rewarded!
CWB reply :
WTG Chris!
The DNR stocked redear in my lake 6-7 years ago to help control zebra mussels. Seems to helping a little but it has provided fantastic fishing, especially if you can find a bedding area.
I have a small spot that some big ones use every year and if you hit it at the right time, you can get 30-40 that are all around a pound.
Sidenote- 2 weeks ago I caught the biggest bluegill of my life 13" well over a pound, on a wacky rigged senko. My dad almost fell out of the boat when I swung it aboard. It was almost round in shape. Seems when they reach a certain length, they grow up and down, not so much longer. 'Gill size seems to be increasing yearly since introduction of readear. Do redear out compete gills for food? Used to be more gills but mostly 4-5" My son got one fathers day off the shore that was 12". Biggest he has ever caught. I told him I'd try to find a replica of it.
A-Jay reply :
Chris is back to posting Monsters again !
Catching trophies smack dab in the middle of what looks like a gorgeous sunny day - Good Times.
Congratulations
A-Jay
bassman31783 reply :
Good gosh that thing is huge. Big congrats on the new PB.
Mrs. Matstone reply :
Great fish, pics and report as usual. Congrats and thanks for sharin.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Man I'd love to catch a 2 pound bluegill or redear but I couldn't even imagine a 3+ pounder! Great fish and great pictures FC!
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