I agree with Bill's comments and these points were the exact reasons I agreeded with Theo. Feeding makes a big difference to growth in small ponds. With it you can carry more BG and LMB to thin them. You just have to watch the water quality.

Bill said "I think regular adult BG have a greater tendency to become hook shy compared to HBG. I have no proof or data, just some of my exeriences to back up this claim."

Here it is :

Evaluation of Male Bluegill X Female Green Sunfish Hybrids for

Stocking Mississippi Farm Ponds

MARTIN W. BRUNSON

H. RANDALL ROBINETTE



The c/f data presented here confirm the aggressiveness

of this hybrid and its vulnerability to angling.

Catch per effort (in terms of weight) for hybrids

in this study, averaged over all baits, was

1,800 g/h. The c/f observed in this study is nearly

triple the maximum catch per hour reported by

Childers and Bennett (1967) for redear x green

sunfish hybrids over a 5-year period in an Illinois

pond. Information on the frequency of recapture

of the hybrids also confirms the aggressive nature

of these fish. Fifty-four of the 296 hybrids caught

(18%) were recaptured by anglers within 5 d, and

21 of those 54 recaptures (39%) were captured a

third time during the 5-d angling period. No comparative

data exist for bluegill, but these data appear

to support the statements of Childers and

Bennett (1967) that some hybrids are less wary

and less likely to learn how to avoid being caught

than their parents.



Catch per unit effort at Blackjack Pond was 12.2

fish/angler-hour (Table 5), comparing closely with

the overall mean c/f in Blackjack (9.9) during the

previous angling experiment. The total catch of

146 hybrids during the 2-h period was 21% of the

population. Catch per effort at Britt Pond was 22.4

fish/angler-hour, and the total catch of 403 fish

was 66% of the population. These high catch rates,

especially at Britt Pond, once again confirm the

aggressiveness and vulnerability of the BG x GS

hybrid, and point to the importance of strict control

of harvest in hybrid ponds.


Last edited by ewest; 01/01/09 09:34 PM.