How To Clean Bluegill

Bluegills are a species of panfish, also sometimes referred to as sunfish, and are considered one of the most popular sport fish in the U.S. You can usually find these fish along the docks in weed-heavy areas of freshwater.

They can grow up to 12 inches in length and their color can vary depending on factors such as size, sex, watercolor, and habitat, but they generally have very distinctive coloring and marks. The most common is the recognizable black spot (ear) that it has on each side near the edge of its gills and the base of its dorsal fin. 

Recognizing bluegill is easy when you know what to look out for. Oval-shaped and with flattened bodies, they are typically lavender and bronze in color with roughly 6 dark stripes on their sides.

To check if you’ve caught male bluegill, look for a copper-colored bar on the top of their head, just behind their eyes, and for a female, their overall color will be lighter and they will have yellow on their throat.

When it comes to cleaning this fish there are many ways to do it, but in most cases, all you will need is a sharp fillet knife. In this article, I’m going to take you through some basic steps you can follow to clean your bluegill which has proved successful for me over the years. 

However, before you can clean your catch of the day, you first have to catch it. So let’s make sure you have the correct set-up to help you catch as many bluegills as you possibly can, then we will go over how to clean a bluegill. 

How To Catch A Bluegill

You can likely fish bluegill year-round, but generally, the best fishing time is during the spring and summer spawn. During these months, the fish can be found in waters around 2-6 feet deep and during a spawn, there can be as many as 50 nests in one spawning bed which means it’s the best time for you to strike! 

The bluegill is known for having a small mouth, even when it reaches adulthood so your bait will need to be kept on the smaller side. I prefer to use live bait as I believe I’ve previously had more success with catching bluegill from using live bait.

However, if you prefer to use lures then make sure you choose bite-sized ones. Effective lures include plastic imitation minnows, spinnerbaits, and small jigs. 

For my live bait, I normally use worms, crickets, and grasshoppers as my preferred choice of bait, mainly because they are always readily available. Bluegills are known as sight feeders and primarily feed during daylight hours. When they are young, they live on a diet of zooplankton, but as they grow and get larger, they feed on insects.

As bluegills are still relatively small in size, even as adults, you will have to select your rod and reel accordingly. I would recommend using an ultra-light rod and reel with a clear line simply because you will be able to feel the bluegill’s bite a lot more and the line will be less visible to the fish. 

For a light line, your weights should be between 2-6lbs with hooks between numbers 6 and 10. Hooks with long shanks are easier to remove from a smaller mouth and are also great for holding small bait.

Most freshwater fish tend to die around 10 minutes after being removed from the water. By placing them in a container/cooler filled with ice, you can preserve the meat until the fish can be cleaned. However, the sooner you clean them, the better and more intense their flavor will be. 

Cleaning A Bluegill

Cleaning bluegill is relatively easy and once you’ve mastered the following 5 steps, you’ll be able to clean your next catch in just a minute or less. 

Before You Begin:

• Make sure that all your equipment and surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned. 
• A handy little tip is to place newspaper on your surface so you can easily discard any unwanted parts of the fish. 
• If you find that your fish is too slippery to handle properly, you can allow your catch to air dry before cleaning which should stop this issue from happening.

Equipment Needed:

• Lots of newspaper sheets
• A raised cutting board
• A sharp fillet knife (electric knives can also be used)
• A dull knife, spoon, or fish scaler
• A container for the storage of prepped fish
• A garbage can for anything that you dispose of

Cleaning Steps:

1. The first step is to descale the fish. This can be done using either a fish scaler, spoon, or a dull knife. You should start at the tail end of the fish and work your way towards the head so you’re going against the growth of the scales. Aim to move your utensil in an outward motion on the fish and repeat this process on both sides of the fish until you are left with smooth skin. 

2. Cut the head off the fish. For this cut, locate the gills and make your cut at the back of these cutting through the fish. 

3. Place the fish flat on the surface with its belly facing you and with a sharp fillet knife make an incision in the belly. Trying to avoid any organs (which can sometimes be tricky) aim to move your knife from the tail end of the fish towards where the head was. 

4. Remove all of the internal organs and dispose of them. However, if you find any roe save this for a tasty treat at a later point.

5. Cut off both the tail and fins and dispose of them, and from here you can fillet the fish depending on your preference.

Storage

Bluegill fillets can be frozen on the day they are caught and cleaned. To freeze, simply place the fillet in a self-closing freezer bag and cover the fish completely with water before sealing shut. By covering them with water you prevent any chances of freezer burn from ruining your fish. 

You can keep these fillets in your freezer for up to six months if stored correctly, which gives you plenty of time to work on those family recipes and figure out the best way to enjoy your catch.