# Blue Gill



## the angler (Oct 13, 2007)

just got into fishing i hear that blue gill are good to eat ? whats the catch limit on those and what do you do with the meat ???? bread and fry ???? i think i would need a whole bunch to fill my gut .... thats about the only fish i know i can catch for sure hha so i wouls like to practice my cleaning skills on them ...


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

They are great to eat and many consider them as fine a meat as any. Most places have no limit on blue gills or sunfish harvest. When I take home gills I usually figure somewhere around 10-12 fish will feed my family of 5 (without making pigs of ourselves). It depends on where you are fishing as to what size to expect. The lake I fish has a good supply of redear sunfish and I usually take home fish in the 8-10" range. I fillet and skin them. Then I fry them in a corn meal batter in light oil or unsalted butter.


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## wargoth (Sep 11, 2007)

Mmmmmmm... Gillies.... I think they taste alot like perch, but anyway beer-battered and deep-fried for me please.


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## tim30409 (Apr 9, 2007)

I always Dip them in a milk-egg mixture then roll them in spiced bread crumbs and pan fry


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## stevenj (Sep 16, 2007)

I have fond memories of 30 years ago catching some huge farm pond gills with my dad, taking them back to the camp ground, filleting them, wraping the in foil with some salt, pepper, butter and onion. nestled down to the side of the camp fire coals. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm good.


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## wargoth (Sep 11, 2007)

stevenj said:


> I have fond memories of 30 years ago catching some huge farm pond gills with my dad, taking them back to the camp ground, filleting them, wraping the in foil with some salt, pepper, butter and onion. nestled down to the side of the camp fire coals. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm good.


That there is my family's patented super-secret channel cat recipe. I wanna know where you got it from there Stevie....


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## johnny fish (Feb 20, 2005)

I like them pan fried, deep fried, the foil trick ,and my favorite is to spray the fillets with pam, pour a can of beer into the bottom of the broiler pan, put some spicy seasoning on the fillets and broil about 3 minutes per side add a side of mashed taters and i am in heaven


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## madcrappiekids (Mar 11, 2006)

the angler said:


> .... thats about the only fish i know i can catch for sure hha so i wouls like to practice my cleaning skills on them ...


Angler, 

be patient with the cleaning skills - the bigger they are the easier they are to clean. when learning to filet any fish I always tell people to give up some by reeasing the little ones until you have a good feel for it, usually you don't get enough meat to make it worth the hassel from the little ones. Big ones....yummmy!!! good luck and make sure your knife is SHARP! 

eating them....well pick your favorite way to cook them...they all work


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## ohiotuber (Apr 15, 2004)

As stated before, they are GREAT! Use breading or batter of choice. As far as cooking time, if deep frying....when they float, they're done! Simple as that. BTW, I dust with seasoned flour (1 c flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper), dip in beaten egg, coat with finely crushed Keebler Club Cracker crumbs, & deep fry at 375 degrees.
Mike


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

The larger gills I like best dipped in egg and rolled in cracker crumbs and fried in lard or Crisco. Smaller filets, from fish under 7 1/2", I boil for about 3 minutes in a beer based crab boil. Take them and dip in hot butter or cocktail sauce and you won't know that it is not crab legs. My wifes favorite. Don't toss ALL the small ones back.


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

the angler........ no fish cookin from me.....you are getting plenty of great ideas from everyone. But you said "fish cleaning skills and practice" man....good for you, because that it where it all starts being able to turn-out nice boneless fillets that anyone ( including kids ) can and will eat. I was lucky and was taught by the very best at a young age (16) and have been doing them for almost 50 years........ Learn to hone your knife handling skills to the best of your abiltiy......easiest...comfortable.... to your liking, will add up to speed later..... Practice.....practice.....practice thats what will help you learn........then no one can take that away from you... PS I also became a meat cutter by trade for a big part of my life and knife skills became part of my life.......beside filleting a few hundred thousand fish in my life time didn't hurt either........ good luck to your future and happy eating to you ....Jon Sr.


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## Mike4066 (May 25, 2007)

If your cuyahoga falls, Mogadore resivoir isn't too far from you. It has a great population of panfish.


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## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

Mike4066.....Used to be cuy.falls.........lived there 40+ years.......now back to living in the Ravenna area (where I was born) for almost the last 15 years. Mogadore Lake was always a part of my fishing life.....first fished it when I was 10......wading and fly-fishing with my dad..... I have seen the up's and down's of fish populations at that lake....but still enjoy going there....PS drove past this lake every day for the last 16+ years of my working life.....Jon Sr.


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## fishon (Apr 20, 2004)

you Boys are makin me hunrgy...

Deep fried with great italain bread crumbs.. and dipped into hearty marinara Sauce... 


Frank


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## iam20fan (Jan 15, 2006)

PBR beer batter drizzle with hot sauce and enjoy. can't wait for spring


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