Bluegills: Pound-for-pound, the best fighters?

With bass season due to open later this month, legions of bass fans are anxiously awaiting the June 21 opener (although catch-and-release bass fishing has been legal since last year). If the fishing themes and targeted fish species that proliferate on ESPN and the Outdoor Channel weren't enough of a clue, surveys have proven that bass are the nation's most popular gamefish. Certainly they make a good account of themselves when hooked, but are they truly the "fightingest fish that swims in fresh waters?"

Many years ago during a national outdoor writers conference, a half dozen of us were discussing what gamefish fought the hardest. The group included Lee Wulff, Jerry Gibbs and Homer Circle. Wulff naturally opted for the Atlantic salmon, a species he'd become anonymous with. Gibbs also chose the salmon, but when Circle gave his choice, several pairs of eyes popped wide open. 'I'd have to say the bluegill," Homer mused, not a hint of a smile showing on his face.

Now, Homer as the Fishing Editor for "Sports Afield" is one of the most respected writer-anglers in the nation. He was also recognized as one of the best and most knowledgeable bass fisherman in the country. His answer took us all by surprise. He then elaborated on his choice. "A big bluegill seldom weighs a pound, but if they were to get as big as largemouth bass, say nothing of a salmon, pound-for-pound they'd outfight any freshwater fish that swims."

This all took place so long ago that I'd almost forgotten it, but my recent trip to the Lake George area, specifically Glen Lake south of the big lake, jarred it back to mind. Glen is host to a huge population of sunfish ... some pumpkinseed sunfish but most bluegills, and they run large, from half to three-quarters of a pound. We happen to hit their pre-spawn period when the majority of them were in the shallows near shore, getting ready to build their nests (called redds) and deposit their eggs.

We used ultralight spinning gear and fished tiny micro-jigs tipped with white plastic grubs which we suspended about 2 1/2 feet below a tiny bobber, just large enough to float the lure. The big bluegills hammered our offerings, and on those ultralight outfits and 4-pound test line, they fought like demons. We also would catch the occasional largemouth bass, most running less than a foot long, but the battle they provided was a pittance of what the bluegills provided. That's when I began to recall the conversation about freshwater's fightingest fish. It was also when I wished I'd have brought along a lightweight fly fishing outfit. What a ball it would've been fighting those big bluegills on a 5-weight long rod.