Huge bluegill (Page 6): Never say never! Thanks to The Outcast I found the link to the new page and filled out the application. Now for the waiting game. The page said there are so...

davedumont Loc: Oscoda, Michigan

Captain Nick wrote:

I feel your disappointment Dave, to be so close, what a bummer. The registration completes the experience and it is lasting for generations. The universe has a way of correcting, stay ready for your turn bro. Tight Lines!

Never say never! Thanks to The Outcast I found the link to the new page and filled out the application. Now for the waiting game. The page said there are so many entries for the certificates that it will be 8+ weeks before I receive it. I can wait!

davedumont Loc: Oscoda, Michigan

Gary W. Allen wrote:

I could eat about a dozen now.

Me too. I'm gettin hungry just talking about it.

davedumont Loc: Oscoda, Michigan

fishyaker wrote:

Dave...although it has been stated already...you scooped up a DANDY batch of bluegills there. Just for grins, I snapped the attached photo in my local supermarket a few days ago with respect to the "financial" value of bluegill.

Notice on the package label that the vacuum sealed bag contains farm raised 'gills from China. I would much rather dine on fresh caught fish from a quality water resource like you did! Well done!

I didn't even know you could buy bluegill fillets at the supermarket. Let alone from China. I'd rather eat fresh ones from a spring fed lake too. Didn't realize they were that expensive either. Thanks for the info!

davedumont Loc: Oscoda, Michigan

Captain Nick wrote:

WOW! I saw gills @ $150 for 5.5 lbs online. Farm raised fish spend a lot of their raising feeding on pellets. Doesn't have the same taste that sweet nature brings.

Those prices are wild! I think I'll just catch my own. You're right, farm raised don't have the same quality as wild caught. Especially when they are from a springfed lake!

davedumont Loc: Oscoda, Michigan

HenryG wrote:

Wow Captain had I known I would've quit work ages ago and sold fresh frozen gill and retired with a big chunk of change. Ya got me thinking maybe there's still time any of you gill fishing folks out there want in? 🎣🇺🇸🤪👍

Lol. It's a thought!

HenryG Loc: Falmouth Cape Cod Massachusetts

davedumont wrote:

Never say never! Thanks to The Outcast I found the link to the new page and filled out the application. Now for the waiting game. The page said there are so many entries for the certificates that it will be 8+ weeks before I receive it. I can wait!

Better late than never Dave congrats 🎣🇺🇸👌🙂👍

DCGravity Loc: Fairfax, VA (by way of Cleveland OH)

fishyaker wrote:

Dave...although it has been stated already...you scooped up a DANDY batch of bluegills there. Just for grins, I snapped the attached photo in my local supermarket a few days ago with respect to the "financial" value of bluegill.

Notice on the package label that the vacuum sealed bag contains farm raised 'gills from China. I would much rather dine on fresh caught fish from a quality water resource like you did! Well done!

Wow, I had no idea gills were even commercially available. Pains me to know that an offshore concern is profiting from this knowing that sunfish are so prolific here.

rhoadda1 Loc: Southwestern. Utah

My favorite fish to catch and eat. Raised in northern Indiana where they seldom get that big but have caught some that size before. Love to catch on ultralite gear and fly rod.

davedumont Loc: Oscoda, Michigan

rhoadda1 wrote:

My favorite fish to catch and eat. Raised in northern Indiana where they seldom get that big but have caught some that size before. Love to catch on ultralite gear and fly rod.

It's been quite a few years since I've flyfished. I used to catch panfish with a flyrod and poppers. My son-in-law and I are planning on hitting that lake in the summer and doing just that. It's a lake where motors aren't allowed. Super clean and spring fed. When I landed that big one we looked at each other and said we need to come here with the flyrods next summer.

rhoadda1 Loc: Southwestern. Utah

Same way I learned. Father taught me to fly fish at age 6 in northern Indiana. Some of my favorite memories are of evening spent catching bluegills, crappie and an occassional bass during mayfly hatches. Poppers did the trick. During day we would use poppers and rubber spiders around structure and lilly pads. Great fun.

Nice trading stories with you.

The Outcast Loc: NE Michigan

davedumont wrote:

Never say never! Thanks to The Outcast I found the link to the new page and filled out the application. Now for the waiting game. The page said there are so many entries for the certificates that it will be 8+ weeks before I receive it. I can wait!

Glad you were able to apply Dave… that ‘gill is definitely worthy of recognition…

davedumont Loc: Oscoda, Michigan

rhoadda1 wrote:

Same way I learned. Father taught me to fly fish at age 6 in northern Indiana. Some of my favorite memories are of evening spent catching bluegills, crappie and an occassional bass during mayfly hatches. Poppers did the trick. During day we would use poppers and rubber spiders around structure and lilly pads. Great fun.

Nice trading stories with you.

Same here! My grandpa taught me how when I was 10. I loved those rubber spiders as much as the poppers. They were deadly. My grandpa was my fishing buddy until he passed. He was the luckiest fisherman I've ever known.

davedumont Loc: Oscoda, Michigan

The Outcast wrote:

Glad you were able to apply Dave… that ‘gill is definitely worthy of recognition…

It's all thanks to you. The link didn't work when I typed it in but it inspired me to search again and I found the link. It was active so all I had to do is click on it and it brought it right up to the new page. I thought it was odd that they would stop a popular program. I was going to email the dnr to inquire about it. Thanks to you I didn't need to. Btw... the application is really simple to fill out if you ever are fortunate enough to catch a master angler qualifier. It took about 2 minutes.

Captain Nick Loc: Ecorse, Michigan

HenryG wrote:

Wow Captain had I known I would've quit work ages ago and sold fresh frozen gill and retired with a big chunk of change. Ya got me thinking maybe there's still time any of you gill fishing folks out there want in? 🎣🇺🇸🤪👍

Aaaaaa Yea-ah!

I saw that advertisement on this forum. Maybe from my cookie crumbs. A site called walleyedirect.com says they remove the haeds, scale, fillet, and ship. Probably safe to assume they weighed them prior to preparation for FedEx.

Captain Nick Loc: Ecorse, Michigan

davedumont wrote:

It's all thanks to you. The link didn't work when ... (show quote)

Way to be persistence driven. Now that you mention, I've entered identicle keywords into different search engines and was taken to different relating places.