What's a big Bream?

dc bigdaddy

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Serious question,
What's a big bream to you? Blue, red belly, google eye. No shell crackers or crappie because I know they can get big.

But when you say you caught some big bream, how big are they? The size of your hand or what?

A big one to me might weigh a pound, but it'll be all I can do to hold him with one hand.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
it depends on where I am fishing. I have fished some lakes since I was really young and they do not produce size. I have never seen one close to a lb from them.
some other ponds and lakes do and you just discuss big with a whole different class of fish.
I would love to fish places where a pound was NOT considered big. That's a benchmark that seems to be consistent. One that weighs a lb is considered big. And we can always go with RRD's definition of a big one. :)
this all refers to brim or bluegill.
with hybrids and such they may have size above what I am relating to.
 

dc bigdaddy

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The reason for this question is, there is a couple of bream tournaments this weekend in the New Bern area. I'm considering fishing one that the local boys from eastern DC put on. Nothing fancy, no big production, just friendly competition. I've got a buddy who is telling me that there is big bream up towards where the other tournament is being held at. I've fished this area for the last 30+ years and I was just wondering if my definition of big bream is the same as others.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
The reason for this question is, there is a couple of bream tournaments this weekend in the New Bern area. I'm considering fishing one that the local boys from eastern DC put on. Nothing fancy, no big production, just friendly competition. I've got a buddy who is telling me that there is big bream up towards where the other tournament is being held at. I've fished this area for the last 30+ years and I was just wondering if my definition of big bream is the same as others.
you will know after the tourney. :)
whomever planned those sure had some good timing.
Good Luck.
 

dc bigdaddy

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
you will know after the tourney. :)
whomever planned those sure had some good timing.
Good Luck.

the local boys do this on every 3rd Saturday from April to August. It just fell right this year.
It's a big fish payout with 5 different fish - bass, shell cracker, raccoon perch, white perch, bream

The new one up river is a 10 fish bag and according to Facebook, it's their 1st tournament. I wish them well.


yes, I've heard them called titty bream also. Funny thing is, that titty bream will do good if he hits a pound
 

ABolt

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Some things you can't specifically define with words, but you know them when you see them.

Big bream, cute girls, shooter bucks, and properly-accessorized trucks are examples that come to mind...
 
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Woods and water

Ten Pointer
Let us know what the winning 10 fish stringer weight is . A one pound bream is a lot bigger than most people think. Ten shellcracker could make a good showing but if fishing the river I would think less than 10 pounds would win it.
 

dc bigdaddy

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Let us know what the winning 10 fish stringer weight is . A one pound bream is a lot bigger than most people think. Ten shellcracker could make a good showing but if fishing the river I would think less than 10 pounds would win it.
I would agree, but unless I see it on Facebook I won't have a clue to what happens at that one.
 

nchawkeye

Old Mossy Horns
If they cover my hand which from the tip of my middle finger to my wrist is 8 inches...

I figure anything 8 inches or longer is pretty big.........
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Anything over 8” long is what I would call big. Many people have caught many bluegill that they they think are over a pound, even two pounds. Truth is, most average panfishermen seldom if ever catch a mess or even one bluegill that’ll be 1 lbs+. I’m not saying there’s not plenty out there to be had, I’m mainly saying most have no idea just how big a 1lbs + bluegill is.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I figured that's what you would call bait. :)
No, they will swallow a pound bream if you get a big one but you will get 20 teen agers and low twenties that will grab it and not hook up and all you will have is air or the best is a good tug to the hook pulls out and then they will take it off and crush it and eat it.

I like bream, when I catch one big as my hand or bigger I chunk them back for breeders. My perfect bait is about 4-6". Big enough that the small channels and whites can't swallow.
 
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BamBam

Eight Pointer
A big bream is longing top to bottom,,, not mouth to tail. I’ve caught a 28 oz. one, that was 1 1/2 inches taller than it was long. My friend has caught a 30 oz. and a 33 oz..
They covered a dinner plate,,with some left over.
 

Aaron H

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I once caught a 12" Bluegill, biggest I ever caught. I do taxidermy now and the largest bream to come to my shop was 13"- didn't weigh it. In fishing now, I consider 9" fat bream big ones.
 

MoBucks

Old Mossy Horns
I know a pond in Johnston Co, that we could catch a 5 gallon bucket full of bream and blue gill.... bring it to the tackle shop... let them pick any of them ....and we’d win the weekly tournament .... haven’t fished there in years but to catch’em we’d cast as far out into the middle of this pond with Catawba worms and wear’em out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

LDG

Twelve Pointer
I thought this was a big one.
50219f1463648b06ccf3b87d85521233.jpg


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Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
The reason for this question is, there is a couple of bream tournaments this weekend in the New Bern area. I'm considering fishing one that the local boys from eastern DC put on. Nothing fancy, no big production, just friendly competition. I've got a buddy who is telling me that there is big bream up towards where the other tournament is being held at. I've fished this area for the last 30+ years and I was just wondering if my definition of big bream is the same as others.


Core Creek area? used to be some good bream TX there. competed in a few but it usually took a monster of close to 2 lbs to win.

I will be fishing a pond Saturday that has some biguns in it.
 

jcannon

Twelve Pointer
I caught a 10.25" shellcracker last Sunday out of the pond on my hunting property. I thought I had a bass and didn't realize exactly what I had until I got all the algae off of him. I was really hoping he would measure out to 11" but he was a little short
 

dc bigdaddy

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I caught a 10.25" shellcracker last Sunday out of the pond on my hunting property. I thought I had a bass and didn't realize exactly what I had until I got all the algae off of him. I was really hoping he would measure out to 11" but he was a little short

I know shell crackers get big, that's why I said bream. There's a man who will probably win the shell cracker division as usual with a pound and a half one.
 

JONOV

Twelve Pointer
A big bream is a "titty bream." One big enough you have to hold it against your titty to get the hook out. That's my definition.
 
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