All About the Bluegill Fish

The Bluegill, Lepomosis macrochirus, is also called Bream in certain areas of the US. It is a very popular freshwater fish to catch for sport and for food. The Bluegill is in a group with other freshwater similar sized fish called the 'panfish'. Other names it is called by are bream, sunfish, bluegill sunfish, blue sunfish and more. The term bream for the fish is generally used in the Southern US areas.

How Bluegills Are Distinguished From Other Sunfish

While the Bluegills can vary in their coloring, ranging from yellow and blue coloring to a deep, dark blue to almost silvery-blueish, all Bluegills have a characteristic black or dark spot on their opecular apex, all the way to the flap. The Bluegills generally have dark vertical bars on their sides, as opposed to other sunfish such as the Pumpkinseed which have spotting or splotchy coloring on their sides.

Where the Bluegills Can Be Found

Bluegills like to hide so try looking for them in areas with weeds, and parts of the water with deeper parts for fishing in the afternoons. Bluegills may also be found hiding in the overhang of a branch or wood fallen in the lake or stream, or woody areas close to the banks or under a dock. Bluegills can be found geographically in many areas. It is native to the mainland US, Mexico and Canada and introduced to many countries and areas throughout the world, including Japan, Phillipines, Panama, Hawaii and many other places.

Bluegills numbers are often kept in check by Largemouth Bass, especially where these are regularly stocked.

How Best to Prepare Bluegills for Eating

Once caught, if you are not planning to catch and release the fish, the bluegills make for good eating. The best ways to prepare the Bluegill is to panfry it or to grill it. Bluegills may also be baked. Panfrying generally calls for an eggwash or milk dipping and breading combination (anything from simple flours or cornmeal to ground breadcrumbs or smashed soda crackers). If doing the wet-dry procedure is too much after a full fishing day, simply saute the fresh Bluegill fillets in a bit of clarified butter or olive oil.