I had been catching some large bluegill for a couple of years. Anything over 9 inches qualifies. I decided to see what the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) records looked like and I noticed the 12 pound tippet class was vacant. That's how I decided to fish that tippet class.

Simple enough, right? Not so fast! Before I could fish under IGFA Rules, there were issues to consider. First of all, really large bluegill tend to be both uncommon & shy. They can be spooked. And it's easier to lay down a soft cast with a 4-pound tippet than dropping a 12-pound line near a wary fish. So presentation was a concern.

I also had to figure out how to attach the Generic to a length of 12-pound tippet material. An improved clinch knot was nearly the size of the fly! So that went immediately into last place for options. As some of you may have figured out, I was able to use a Turle knot because it put the knot behind the eye of the hook and that didn't change the profile of the fly.

I used IGFA-rated tippet material to be sure the breaking strength was correct (they test that with the application). I found a grocery store that would weigh a fish after hours for me on their certified scale. I tied up half a dozen tippets with the Generic attached and kept them in a round leader holder, and that in a pocket of my float tube.

I had a friend fishing with me on the day I caught this fish. AND...I let him fish the water in front of me, all day. The fishing was quite good. My friend took a very nice bass mid-afternoon, and the bluegill were on the bite. But I caught the only large bluegill that day.

My friend (Thanks, Rick!) took a photo of me with the fish, rod and reel which was needed for the application. All I knew for sure was the fish had to weigh 1 pound to be considered for an open tippet class, and we both thought it would. It weighed 1.25 pounds on the nose.

It was a fun challenge, but that's it for me. That was 22 years ago and 14 years since I put this information online. -jon hazen