That elusive two pound redear

[Embrey]

how long does it take one to get to 10 inches or so? anybody think the size constantly going down has to do with everybody keeping buckets of them everytime they go?lol

[coachjoe]

how long does it take one to get to 10 inches or so? anybody think the size constantly going down has to do with everybody keeping buckets of them everytime they go?lol

Maybe.. but I doubt it. Redear are harder to catch than bluegill and they grow faster. Average size of a 3 year old redear is 7 to 7.5 inches while a 3 year old bluegill is 4.5 to 5.5. Readear only live about 6 years with the oldest recorded I could find being 7yrs. old. so I would imagine that it takes at least 5 or 6 years for a 10 plus inch redear.

[Moveon]

For $2000 you could buy some scuba gear and make that job of finding that big redear much easier.

My goal is to catch a two pound redear and mount it. I figure a two pound redear in Southern Indiana is a trophy fish, I might even mount a 1.5 or so pounder depending on the fish itself. I figured I spent over five hundred dollars this summer in pursuit of this fish, probably closer to a thousand dollars to be honest. I caught a couple of redears right at a pound and about 11 inches long, so it's going to be really tough to get this fish. I figured this fish would be at least 12.5-13.5 inches long and probably six or seven years old. It's been a lot of fun trying to catch this fish, I'll spend another 500-1000 next summer trying to land this elusive redear. It's a fun goal of mine and it keeps me focused. This pursuit is done on public waters too, not private ponds where it would be much easier accomplished IMO.

[topwater2007]

Yeah, that is not unheard of fish in private water. I have caught them that big before.

[redearhoosier]

For $2000 you could buy some scuba gear and make that job of finding that big redear much easier.

Naa, can't do that, I'm a fisherman, not a diver. But it would be VERY interesting to see what's down there. I've always been surprised at how close divers can get to fish anyway, I'm talking saltwater. I guess the same holds true for freshwater diving? I would assume a fish would stay clear of a human being, especially small freshwater variety.

[indyls]

I live in Indy and have been fortunate to catch a 2lb redear on Dale Hollow (on the wall) and another 2lb'er in a Southern CA lake (bass fishin with live crawdads). Those beasts are a hoot but VERY hard in this state - best of luck to you!