# Gills that Bite Humans



## TrailMarker (Dec 8, 2012)

So...yesterday we were out that pond and proceeded to get beat up by the blue gills. They were very aggressive, the dock is under water because of the high water tables and my 2 year old was out there playing with some matchbox cars and one ended up biting his finger which surprised and scared him. I “kind of” saw it coming, a few gills seemed interested in what he was doing but I just figured oh hell they will never bother him, but they still went after him. A few minutes later (in trying not to make him afraid of the fish) I was wading in the pond and he was jumping off the dock into my arms...well, bam bam bam I took a bite to the back which didn’t really hurt but kind of freaked me out lol. Anyway, this pisses me off, my pond that was for swimming and fishing doesn’t seem to be putting forward the balance I was looking for. I searched a little bit online and came up with the following: feeding pellets helps with pirahna type blue gills, blue gills are very territorial in numbers during and after their spawn and last...putting a few in the fry pan is probably necessary on occasion. I already do feed them, but not regularly, but it seems like feeding before swimming helps.

I kept telling my boy we would get them back, so today we went out and put a few in the bucket. He couldn’t be happier about their loss and our gain.


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## Dale Malusi (Oct 27, 2018)

Nice meal!
I thought I was the only one ever bitten by a bluegill. I have been floating in a waterchair in Secord Lake more than once when those little buggers attacked me. Last fall I had minnows eating the dead skin off of my bare feet in Higgins Lake. Just like a spa treatment, only free.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Bluegills do it a ton. I couldn’t count the number of times it’s happened to me. Put some bait on a snelled hook held in your hand, go underwater and catch them that way. It’s a blast, but after one or two the others can bug out.


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## herefishyfishyfishy (May 20, 2014)

My brother in law has a pond that the blue gills bite you non stop and some of them sting pretty good too. And if you have a mole they will not leave it alone!


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## Tilden Hunter (Jun 14, 2018)

Once when I was a teen ager I was hanging on to a raft we would put out in about 30' deep water. I was hanging on to the edge just resting, and a little bluegill about the size of a 50 cent piece tried to eat me starting with my nipple. I was surprise to even find him out there, but I suppose it was just because of the raft.


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## Cpt.Chaos (May 28, 2006)

I haven’t had an issue with any hooligan gills, but I have had some perch doing some thievery recently.....we showed them


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## TrailMarker (Dec 8, 2012)

a friend of mine claims that his pond is the same, he had a bluegill bite off a skin tag he had, said it bled for a while but never came back?


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Had a gill bite my belly button when I was... probably about 12. Left a circle of tiny red spots but didnt really draw blood.


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## brigeton (Feb 12, 2004)

Do bluegills get rabies?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

This is pretty common. Throw some Bass in there, to prey on the smaller Gills, and keep their numbers in check a bit. And eat as many as you feel like, because they are good, and it is good to keep them from getting stunted.


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## herefishyfishyfishy (May 20, 2014)

I was at outdoor adventure recently and a group of Arabic guys were swimming by us when one guy got bit by a bluegill and you would of thought jaws attacked him! He ran out of the water screaming damn near crying saying he needed to go to ER! I showed his buddies what bit him and they all started laughing at him. He refused to get in the water again and just sat there pouting! It was hilarious even my 8 year was laughing at him!


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## the roofer (Jan 14, 2009)

What ever u do never poop in the water..when I was young and dumb..and had to poop..jumped in at the Wyandotte boat club and did business..well the gills attacked me....almost like piranhas..true story 40 yrs ago..now when nature calls I use a bucket..tell the kid excellent catch..


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

the roofer said:


> What ever u do never poop in the water..when I was young and dumb..and had to poop..jumped in at the Wyandotte boat club and did business..well the gills attacked me....almost like piranhas..true story 40 yrs ago..now when nature calls I use a bucket..tell the kid excellent catch..


Let me guess. You ate corn the day before.


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## subocto (Feb 21, 2003)

My nipples are like bluegill candy! And I have a mole on my back they always go after too. Feisty little things!


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## subocto (Feb 21, 2003)

We lost power one summer day after dinner, so I did the dishes on the dock in knee deep water, we had grilled shrimp and while cleaning the plates something was tickling my toes so I kicked it away thinking probably a bluegill, then 5 minutes later I felt it again, i looked down and saw a 15” catfish sucking/biting my big toe. I figured the shrimp smell drew him in and he was thinking toe was food. Kinda freaked me out!


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## TrailMarker (Dec 8, 2012)

subocto said:


> We lost power one summer day after dinner, so I did the dishes on the dock in knee deep water, we had grilled shrimp and while cleaning the plates something was tickling my toes so I kicked it away thinking probably a bluegill, then 5 minutes later I felt it again, i looked down and saw a 15” catfish sucking/biting my big toe. I figured the shrimp smell drew him in and he was thinking toe was food. Kinda freaked me out!


Quit liking it so much and maybe the blue gills will slow down a little bit, lol. #curbenthusiasm


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## TrailMarker (Dec 8, 2012)

subocto said:


> We lost power one summer day after dinner, so I did the dishes on the dock in knee deep water, we had grilled shrimp and while cleaning the plates something was tickling my toes so I kicked it away thinking probably a bluegill, then 5 minutes later I felt it again, i looked down and saw a 15” catfish sucking/biting my big toe. I figured the shrimp smell drew him in and he was thinking toe was food. Kinda freaked me out!


Side note: those cheap popcorn shrimp are great catfish bait


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

sureshot006 said:


> Let me guess. You ate corn the day before.


No, if he had it would have been trout rather than bluegill.


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