Children are perfect judges of what is fun and what isn't fun. So it wasn't unexpected when in the mid-1980s, schoolchildren across Illinois elected the bluegill as our state fish.

Today, the Prairie State is the pinnacle of fun for bluegill enthusiasts. Exemplary management practices and programs have not only transformed Illinois into a panfisher's paradise, but the state remains loyal to its elected fish. To ensure quality fishing for generations to come, the Illinois Natural History Survey has an ongoing research project for management and improvement of the bluegill population. Since its inception, it has instituted a number of innovations to help create the ideal fishery.

"In 1996, we started collecting samples from 32 lakes for the purpose of long-term manipulation management," said program director Matt Diana. "Many of the initial waters were lakes that had stunted populations, others were lakes that already had an established population of sizeable fish."

Currently, the prospectus is primarily focused on superintendence.

"The program is set up with different strategies for management," Diana said. "One strategy was to establish an 8-inch size limit on 16 lakes in the survey to protect established quality populations of fish. Another was to stock largemouth bass in lakes with small fish, and a third conducted in some waters with an overabundance of small fish was to eliminate the population altogether and reintroduce a controlled population of bluegills."

Along with current management research, the survey is also looking into types of biological manipulation to increase the size of bluegills.

"Research suggests that when bluegills reach sexual maturity, they tend to peak their growth," Diana said. "After this, they expend energy in reproduction and tend not to grow, or even regress in size. We've found that on a number of lakes with an 8-inch size limit, bluegills were reaching sexual maturity around 7 inches. We've been looking into ways to prolong sexual maturity to give them a chance to grow larger."

All things considered, it can be agreed that Illinois really takes its bluegill fishing seriously. The survey is set to conclude in 2007, and it's exciting to think what bluegill fishing will be in the near future. If you're among the thousands of Prairie State anglers who enjoy catching the mighty cane-pole marauder, take note of the following waters. Regardless of where you reside, you can find incredible bluegill fishing in any direction, and chances are good you live within a short cast of one of the best places for you to act like a kid again.

BUSSE LAKE
Just minutes from downtown Chicago, Cook County's Busse Lake in Ned Brown Forest Preserve boasts a bluegill citizenry worthy of recognition.

"Busse Lake has some 8-inch fish," said Department of Natural Resources biologist Frank Jakubicek, "and it has gazillions of fish from 7 inches to about 7 3/4 inches. Anglers catch a lot of these in-between legals."

With many 'gills approaching the minimum-size limit, Busse is a great place to play with some fish, and you can take home 10 fish per day over the size limit. Three retention pools combine for 590 acres of stained water. Shorelines are strewn with good cover. Bluegills can be caught on everything from worms to fly tackle. Boat launching, picnic sites and excellent facilities are on site. For more information, call (847) 437-8330.