Name/Relations || Range/Sizes || Habitat & Habits ||  Notes

Common Name:  Bluegill
Other Common Names: sunfish, sunperch, perch
Scientific name: Lepomis macrochirus
Family:  Sunfishes  (Centrarchidae)
Related Species:   Largemouth Bass (distant), Northern Rock Bass, Redear, Green Sunfish, Pumkinseed
 

Sizes:  Can get to 5 pounds but far more common from 4"-8" long (under a pound), a fish over a 1.5 pounds (12"+) is considered a large trophy.

Habitat:  Warm lakes, slower sections of creeks and rivers, ponds.  Prefers structure such as downed and overhanging trees and bushes, overhanging banks, and weed beds, especially in shallow water (3"-8 feet deep). Can survive a wide variety of temperatures and water conditions.  Schools when not spawning.

Spawning Habits:  Spawning begins during the first full moon after the water has reached 70-75 degrees, in the spring or early summer. The male constructs a dish shaped nest (12-15" in diameter)  in coarse sand or pea sized gravel, usually near the nests of other males.  The female chooses a nest, the male entices her in,  and she mates with the resident male.  Multiple females may visit each nest.  The male will then guard the nest very aggressively until the eggs hatch.  Bluegill commonly hybridize with other similarly shaped sunfishes such as redears, pumkinseeds, green sunfish, and orangespotteds. Very prolific and can overpopulate a farm pond in under 3 years if left unchecked by larger fishes. 

Feeding Habits:  Bluegill have relatively small mouths, and therefore their prey tends to also be small: freshwater shrimps, scuds, terrestrial insects (ants, mosquitos, flies, grasshoppers, beetles), nymphs, crayfish, rotifers, worms, and small minnows.  They usually ambush their prey but will stray several yards from either a spawning bed or structure if the water is turbid.

Notes:  Likely the most popular gamefish in North America and one of the first fish many anglers catch, and is also the primary forage fish for many species in small ponds and lakes including its cousins the Black Basses.  It will take nearly any bait, and it notorious as a bait stealer. The angler intent on catching these fish should use #12-#8 hooks, cover the curved part of the hook with any available bait (crickets, bread, corn, worms, etc.). The bite will be quick.  They are a wonderful flyrod target, and a wide variety of poppers, streamers, dry flies, and wooly worms will be successful, and be wacked with a nasty viscousness if fished on a 2lb leader.  The perfect target for a low-patience angler (adult or child)!