14 Nebraskaland • December 2022
IN THE FIELD
By Jeff Kurrus
DON'T STUNT
It's a tough concept for many to learn, especially
when panfishing. But if your goal is to catch trophy
bluegill today — and long into the future — then put
the biggest ones back.
"Bluegill biology is complicated," said Daryl Bauer,
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission fisheries
biologist. "Your big males are your nest builders, your
guards. They grow extremely fast so they can defend
the nest and reproduce. You want these fish around."
In contrary, added Bauer, there are other, smaller
males — with coloration similar to females — that
sneak onto the nests and fertilize eggs. The more of
these fish that reproduce, the better the chances are for
stunted fish in the future.
"So, if you're keeping those bigger fish," said Bauer,
"then you're choosing to harvest faster growing fish
and leaving the stunted ones in the lake."
Catch a few fish before deciding what to harvest,
because fish size can be relative, and then harvest
the smaller males. You can also take some female
fish, but immediately release the trophies of both
sexes. For example, when fishing a Sandhills lake,
release anything larger than 9 inches. In an eastern
Nebraska lake, that 9-incher may be the biggest fish, so
concentrate on those in the 8-inch range.
The goal isn't to start your fishing story with: "This
one time, we were keeping huge gillies." Instead, do
your part to keep big bluegill in a lake for years to come.
Releasing trophy, male bluegill back into a lake — like this one from an eastern Nebraska farm pond — can help provide
excellent long-term fishing. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
