Bluegill water

[Coughlin]

Hello,
Does anyone have a recommendation for decent bluegill water in a 1 1/2 hour arc around Philadelphia?
Thanks,
Cougfhlin

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Coughlin,

You might want to try the back end of Marsh Creek or Chambers Lake. I never fished Chambers since it is newer but I used to do pretty well on the back end of Marsh Creek when I was younger and fished more around Philadelphia.

The better bluegill fishing always seemed to be in private ponds and I imagine that is still the case? Maybe you can find a fishing spot by taking a ride with taking your gear along and asking a few landowners if they would allow you to fish their ponds?

I'll be honest and say I've tried that in the past with very limited sucess but you might be a more handsome and presentable fellow than me so your luck might be better. ;-) The ones I did gain access to almost always offered very good fishing.

You can also catch some decent redbreast sunfish, to me a sunnie is sunnie is a bluegill, in the Delaware River and the Schuylkill River. Find a stretch of uniform depth with a tree lined bank and wade out into the river and work your way upstream or downstream casting under the trees.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[Volksnurse]

The Pennypack below the Boulevard and at the mouth into the Delaware is good for sunnies....real bluegills once in a while...The Neshaminy up in Tyler St Park is usually pretty good for a variety of panfish in general...

 

[KeithS]

The ENTIRE Perkiomen

 

[afishinado]

Tim Murphy has it - Marsh Creek Res. or Chambers are both good bets for bluegills.

 

[englishprof]

Main or West Branch of the Brandywine anywhere. It's loaded with them.

 

[Coughlin]

To all,
Many thanks!
Coughlin

 

[Keppenbill]

Hopewell lake for monster redbreasts

 

[sandfly]

all creeks and ponds and lakes outside of the city limits holds gills..just look on a map for parks at local lakes and streams..

 

[tulenkot]

Green Lane resivoir.

 

[iirz]

Not quite bluegills, but every once in awhile I bike up to Wissahickon Valley Park and throw poppers for green sunfish. They are easily the wariest sunfish I've ever fished for but I usually manage at least 5 or so when I go. If you do bike make sure you lock it to something strong, some people broke the sign I locked my bike to last time and took it with the u-lock on it :/.

 

[Coughlin]

Thanks again everyone!
Coughlin

 

[Mike]

Glad to hear the enthusiasm for warmwater fish, but I recommend a fish identification review when it comes to identification of bluegills vs redbreast sunfish. One is hard-pressed to find redbreast sunfish in SE Pa lakes.

 

[redietz]

One is hard-pressed to find redbreast sunfish in SE Pa lakes.

By the same token, most of the sunnies in rivers tend to be redbreasts.

They're very easy to tell apart: the redbreast has a long "ear", bluegills don't. (Of course other sunfish have one or the other characteristic as well.)

 

[WISSICHICKEN]

The Wiss. is full of bluegills. Try the area along Lincoln drive before the spillway. deep, glassy, and full of sunshine...15 minutes out of the city. If youre a warm water junkie you'll find the fishing is pretty good year round....

 

[marcq]

Coughlin if you don't mind me asking where you are located in the city? bluegill are easy to find. most small pond in our area have them. not really my cup of tea but they do put a bend in the rod and are fun to catch. if your looking to keep then maybe I would get away from the city but just catching them for the fun then you could find a spot very close. FDR, valley green, pennypack, to name a few. I have a small pond in a cemetery near my house that me and my friends put gills and a few small bass we caught in and two years ago they were still there. one bass we huge like 6 pounds.

marc

 

[Stagger_Lee]

This past summer I caught a ton on the Neshaminy and enjoy hitting the Jamison/Warrick area. Also had lots of success on the Perkiomen. Not sure the name of the town but I accessed it abt 7 miles north of Doylestown. Per English Prof .. going to make it my business to hit the Brandywine this year.