# Size



## BigG

What is considered keeper size blue gill or crappie? Thanks, Gary


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## bigcat46

For me Crappie 9 in.
Bluegill 8 in.


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## Shortdrift

Bluegill 8 and crappie 10. Perch 9 if desperate with 10 being preferred.


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## BigG

Went out to ladue this evening and caught about 15 fish (blue gill, crappie, & other sunfish) only 2 or 3 in the 8 to 10 in range, all c&r but next time I'll keep the 8 to 10 inchers on you all's advise. Thanks, Gary


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## Ruminator

Thats a good plan Gary. I agree with Shortdrift, any smaller than his sizes and I feel its too much work for the little filets that you get. But everyone has their own size that they feel becomes a waste of time and the fish. You'll come up with your own in time. And on slow days you may find you are keeping smaller ones than usual.


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## peple of the perch

i have a neighbor any every time we go perch fishing he keeps just about everyone that he catches. its so annoying when we go fishing with him


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## misfit

keeper size for any fish is really the choice of the individual(within the law),but mine's the same as shortdift also,though i don't get many oppotunities to catch perch,and fish even less for gills.
as for crappies,i like to keep it at 10 inches,but there are times it could be more or less.that depends on the water i'm fishing,combined with the average size of fish available.i've noticed cycles in year class survival when the average size on most waters will vary every several years.
on my favorite lake i've seen times when,for a few years there were low numbers of 10 inch and bigger fish,with loads of 8-9 inchers(which were keepers if i wanted to eat,lol).i've also seen consecutive years of great numbers of 11-14 inch fish,such as the past few years.the past 2 years i've kept very few under 11 inches(usually for guests) in comparison to those 11 and up.
hopefully the cycle will continue for awhile,and i can keep tossing those rare 10 inchers back


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## flathunter

Anything over 5 inches makes great flathead bait!


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## Smallie Gene

I consider the following lengths as standards for "keeper" fish if I feel so inclined to take them home and clean them which I normally don't unless its walleye.

Bluegill - 7
Crappie - 12
Perch - 10
Muskie 35
Walleye - 18
Pike - 34
Smallmouth - 14
Largemouth - 16
Saugeye - 17
Gar - 30


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## peon

smallie you eat muskie, pike and gar????


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## peple of the perch

i like pike to i dont eat it much though


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## leckig

peon said:


> smallie you eat muskie, pike and gar????


we had pike on Fletcher Pond and it was delicious. So was muskie - friend gave me once a muskie (from Alum), he did not know what to do with it. Was really good bbq'ed. Actually we saw lots of people cleaning pikes at fletcher, and that pond is just full of them, pikes (well, people too). 

I am not sure about a gar, it looks weird, but I am sure that native Americans ate or eat it. Sure i would give it a try, but i rather keep a small one in a fish tank, very beautiful fish they are


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## Ruminator

Man, you can give me a plate of fresh caught Canadian Northern Pike filets and I'm one happy camper! The taste is so close to fresh caught walleye that its hard to tell them apart.


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