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Raising Bluegill?

8.7K views 33 replies 15 participants last post by  Catfishmane  
#1 ·
I’m a relative newcomer to the world of catfishing, and have found bluegill to be great bait for Flathead. One issue: I have a hard time reliably catching bluegill. I’ve got a cast net but keep ending up demolishing it on snags, creating a pain especially in the cold when you have to reach in to free it.
Started thinking: I’ve got a wide open backyard, wood, and saws. Is it plausible to make a nice big tank(ish) thing for raising bluegill? Perhaps 7Lenfth 3Width And 2.5 deep? There’s a nearby lake I could possibly catch a few bluegills to start off. How finnicky are they on temperature? How would I get them to spawn?
 
#4 ·
I could/would need to put a protective screen over it, because we have a lot of predatory birds in the nearby areas. My biggest concern is getting them to spawn. I’ve read can be pretty hard at times, but I may be up to the challenge.
Cost is a major concern for me, it looks like I’d be dropping at least 150 bucks on the lumber alone, not even factoring in hardware.
 
#6 ·
An ibc tote or 2 would be your best bet. Then just the bulk of the money would be for filtration. Some people get rid of the totes some place sell them for up to 75$. If you list your state you may be able to get some more help.

The IBC tote option Would be cheapest and could do it for a few hundred depending on tote prices
 
#10 ·
I can not see a way that it would be worth the cost of doing. Now having a place to put caught bluegill/sunfish until you get to go fishing would be something possible. I would not think bluegill would be very hard to catch during the biggest part of the year.

I have a 1 acre lake that I put 250 bluegill in two summers ago. This is coming summer will be the first year they will be big enough to use as bait. So, your raising them is a several year process.
 
#12 ·
I can not see a way that it would be worth the cost of doing. Now having a place to put caught bluegill/sunfish until you get to go fishing would be something possible. I would not think bluegill would be very hard to catch during the biggest part of the year.

I have a 1 acre lake that I put 250 bluegill in two summers ago. This is coming summer will be the first year they will be big enough to use as bait. So, your raising them is a several year process.
That’s what I am beginning to think. Now I am curious what the bare minimum filtration and living space for a dozen or so sunfish would be.
 
#11 ·
I don't know how much land area you have available to you or if what you do have would be suitable, but I had a track hoe doing some other work on the farm several years ago, while he was here I had him dig a small pond almost round about 25 ft across, it is very deep to prevent freezing and to give the gills area down considering the restrictions across. Dropped a dozen or so in it and fed them the first two years, now they are so overstocked that a cane pole, tiny gold hook with the barb bent down, and a can of worms fills the bait tank quickly. Due to being overstocked a big catch would be about 5 inches with the vast majority being from 1 to 3. At the time in this area big hoes were charging $150.00 per hr. and it took a little less than two hrs. to complete.
 
#20 ·
Im with Tom on this one, I would look into holding them rather than raising them. Be careful not to overcrowd them, they will die off faster. Hang a bug zapper light over the tank to feed them.
 
#22 ·
The man who has bait here locally has large plastic tanks about 6 or 8 ft across and about 2 feet deep. I have seen his filtering system but not paid any close attention to it. I can ask him where he got his supplies and what does one cost.
 
#24 ·
This is my garage tank. It's 270GL but I cut it and only use 230GL. I have about 40 gills, she'll crackers, bass, crappie, white and yellow perch in there. I normally have bullheads but I used them. You won't be able to breed, the fish will eat the babies and eggs. I had yellow perch lay eggs after I caught them and the others ate them all. This works perfect for me, I keep creek Chubbs and have even had Brown trout in there for an entire winter. Over the winter I don't lose any fish but summer time you have to keep the water as cool as possible or you'll start losing fish. I had 2 algae eaters in there as well but you will need to install heaters. I'm not using the heaters this winter because then I have to feed the fish and they become very aggressive and fight each other. The bullheads keep the other fish in check. When I don't have bullheads the gills gang up on the other fish. Good luck, any questions feel free to ask.
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#27 ·
This is my garage tank. It's 270GL but I cut it and only use 230GL. I have about 40 gills, she'll crackers, bass, crappie, white and yellow perch in there. I normally have bullheads but I used them. You won't be able to breed, the fish will eat the babies and eggs. I had yellow perch lay eggs after I caught them and the others ate them all. This works perfect for me, I keep creek Chubbs and have even had Brown trout in there for an entire winter. Over the winter I don't lose any fish but summer time you have to keep the water as cool as possible or you'll start losing fish. I had 2 algae eaters in there as well but you will need to install heaters. I'm not using the heaters this winter because then I have to feed the fish and they become very aggressive and fight each other. The bullheads keep the other fish in check. When I don't have bullheads the gills gang up on the other fish. Good luck, any questions feel free to ask.
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Very nice setup! How much did you pay for it all said, between the pumps, filters, container, and such?
My issue is that the garage is completely used up for making furniture, so whatever I choose must go outside, in the radical Texas weather: 10 degrees in winter 110 in summer.
 
#28 ·
Paid $60 for the tote used. Had to clean it like 4 times to get all the residue out. I got the pond aerator off eBay for $100. And the (2) 60GL filters from Wal-Mart. $27 each I believe. I use the blue U2 treatment also eBay for like $50. I treat it with ammonia killer from Wal-Mart aquarium section for $5 each. And the (2)heaters were $60 from ebay. Airstones from eBay too lol. The rack to hold the filters came out of an old deep freezer I had

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#30 ·
Catbird no you don't have to feed them. I just do it anyway lol you can see the freeze dried meal worms in one of the pics. From Wal-Mart aquarium section. Without the heaters the water is cold all winter and their metabolism is slow. I just like watching them feed lol the heaters were really for the algae eaters because they had to have 70-85 degree water at all times. They aren't in there anymore so no need to put the heaters back in. They are (2) 100GL heaters by the way. Dirt cheap off eBay.
 
#31 ·
I use a wire basket about the size of a 55 gallon drum. It stays subk in the pond I catch gills in. Sink it about 3 ft deep in water and leave the top open. Chunk gills in it and let them live there until you fish. Depending on where you live you can raise tillapia pretty cheap. I'm sure they will catch about as good as cut bream and small ones whole. If raising through the winter you'd have to heat the space they don't take cold very well. I have a neighbor raising them in 500 gallon tank he scavanged someplace. Open top, air bubblers and a filter for poop. Recirculates the water. I've considered doing it myself, I have enough shed space to make a room ...just a thought
 
#33 ·
Shiner minnows will spawn in a swimming pool. The price for them has gotten lower in the last few years. I expect that bluegills would too. I have even seen helgramites in a pool once. The alternative would be a small pond.
 
#34 ·
I think if they had a nice setup with some good gravel a person could have some success with getting them to spawn. Idk about bluegill but other sunfish like to have some gravel to dig little holes in for the female to lay eggs in. The male pumpkinseed in my daughter's aquarium was in there 6 months then he started taking his tail and digging little holes in the gravel waiting for a girlfriend to come along. And he Was just in a 20 gallon at the time.