Identifying male and female bluegill

In the last article, we looked at the bluegills life and some of the interesting spawning habits. Below, I have included illustrations showing the difference between male and female bluegill.

Female

Sometimes, it can be difficult to identify the differences in male and female bluegill. I can show you a few things to look for that might be helpful.

The females are less colorful. They tend to be a solid light green or yellow. The orange belly is less vibrant.

Another obvious sign is the “Operculum Flap” or the black flap located above the pectoral fin will be smaller on the females.

The female will also have a sloped forehead and just a all around subtle features.

Male

As you can see, the male is colorful and has a stockier build. A male bluegill reminds of a fish that has been taking steroid injections. I believe referring to them as “bulls” is an appropriate description. As I mentioned before, the female has a sloped forehead. Notice, the male has a hump on his, giving him a bulky appearance.

Color is another distinguishing feature of the male bluegill. The characteristic blue around the gill plates is a hard one to miss. Then, you have the belly. Which can become a vibrant and intense orange during the spawn. The black flap on a male is larger too.

At this point, you might be wondering why it matters.

Who cares?

It’s a bluegill, that’s all I need to know. Right?

I’m not here to tell you what to keep and what to throw back when fishing. As long as it’s a legal fish, you can do what you want with it. However, from a biological viewpoint, it’s my understanding, that it’s best to return the larger males back to the water. In my previous post, I mentioned the bigger breeding males could be 7 or 8 years old. We want those big males to participate in the spawn. For eating purposes, it’s best to harvest the females. For me, this is what I intend on doing. After all, fried fish is one of my favorite foods. In fact, a New Years Resolution of mine is to eat more fish.

Until next time, thanks for reading

Bryan