07-20-2003, 09:29 PM
[cool]There was a limit of 20 then, in Pelican Lake, Utah, where those 'gills came from. The pic is not a good one, and you can't count the fish well, but I don't think there were even 20 on that stringer. Those were just a few of the more than 100 I caught in a morning's outing. I have had days there when I caught over 200...all on flies...in a full day of fishing.
For a northern state, the bluegills are decent sized in Pelican...averaging over 1/2 pound and regularly exceeding a pound. It is a shallow lake full of weeds and reeds...an ideal habitat for both the 'gills and some nice largemouths. It's probably one of the best lakes I have ever fished for being able to take a tubing and fly-fishing rookie out for the first time and have them catch lots of fish.
I think the limit on bluegills today, from Pelican, is only 10. The good news is that most serious anglers go there for the sport and not the table. One thing that helps discourage everyone from keeping a lot of the bluegills is the parasitic white worms that are in the flesh of many fish taken from Pelican. They are harmless (when cooked), and are easily removed from the fillets with the point of a knife, but finicky folks would rather not get involved.
Pelican is also INFAMOUS for harboring the swimmers' itch parasite, which attacks the bare skin of swimmers and waders that do not wear waders. It is also a long drive from the major population centers of Utah, so it really does not get the severe pressure it would probably get if it were located nearer to the larger cities.
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For a northern state, the bluegills are decent sized in Pelican...averaging over 1/2 pound and regularly exceeding a pound. It is a shallow lake full of weeds and reeds...an ideal habitat for both the 'gills and some nice largemouths. It's probably one of the best lakes I have ever fished for being able to take a tubing and fly-fishing rookie out for the first time and have them catch lots of fish.
I think the limit on bluegills today, from Pelican, is only 10. The good news is that most serious anglers go there for the sport and not the table. One thing that helps discourage everyone from keeping a lot of the bluegills is the parasitic white worms that are in the flesh of many fish taken from Pelican. They are harmless (when cooked), and are easily removed from the fillets with the point of a knife, but finicky folks would rather not get involved.
Pelican is also INFAMOUS for harboring the swimmers' itch parasite, which attacks the bare skin of swimmers and waders that do not wear waders. It is also a long drive from the major population centers of Utah, so it really does not get the severe pressure it would probably get if it were located nearer to the larger cities.
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