Addicted to the Gills

 I know many of you think I am obsessed with the bluegill. All the post I have published on my blog proves that statement. I never tire of landing the big bulls, especially in the super clear deep waters of Smith Lake. 

What makes landing these supersize gills special is how they attack the surface popper. An explosive hit is what one can expect from this size gill, making you think it is a spotted bass. The minute they inhale the popper they go for deep water. The fight even with a 5 wt. is awesome and even more epic using a 3 or 4 wt. In other words, you just don't jerk these fish in the boat. I lost one of the largest gills yesterday I think I have ever connected with fishing Smith using a 3wt. I saw the bluegill and knew he was huge but didn't realize how powerful the fish was until it broke my 5X tippet. Today's catch helped relieve the pain of losing that fish yesterday.

I've said many times before, but this lake has to be one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever fished. The rock wall formations are astounding, with unusual color markings. The water depth surrounding the wall in this nook is 20 to 30 ft. Even at those depths, the fish can still find the popper because of the super clear water. Any commotion on the water surface will get their attention. 

So the question I keep asking myself after all these years of fishing for this fish is---which species would I prefer to land the spotted bass or the big gills?  I will let the readers of this post answer that question!

This tree is one of the many trees that can be found on the banks of the many rock walls and nooks on this lake. I am wondering if any of you know the name of this particular tree with huge leaves and large white flowers?