Other than the bright yellow bellies or creamy colored bellies, I don't see a lot of color variation in my RES. The reduced water clarity in my pond this years is not helping. I was hoping we might be able to discern sex from the vents.
Maybe the season???? Up till Saturday I had caught a grand total of 4 RES, not counting a couple of 2" ones caught in a cast net. Saturday evening about an hour and a half before sundown cast out a small plastic jig to catch some more 4-5" BG to put in the old pond (the one with the GSF). Did decent on the BG catching about 20 from 3"-8.
But the surprising catches were 4 RES. Biggest 9 1/4 and smallest about 6. Only took a picture of one of them, pictured below. Other picture is the type jig I was using. Caught everything in the shallow area of the pond that had gravel bottom designed for spawning. Had been so dry and water low this summer the area was covered with FA, but recent rains raised water level and was able to fish it. The BG seem to love to hang out in this area with large numbers there when I feed around the shore line. Cast the jig out and retrieved just fast enough to keep it out of the FA on the bottom but not so fast to bring it to the surface, trying to keep it a foot or two under water. My assumption is they were in this shallow area (most of it 2-5' deep) feeding on snails and critters amongst the FA. I didn't think they liked artificial lures all that much, but all 8 that I have caught have been on artificial of different types. Any time I actually tried fishing for RES, never caught any.
I caught 8 RES on a similar lure shallow yesterday 18" below a bobber that I would move, let sit, then move again. Prior to yesterday my total count for the year was 8 RES total out of my pond caught by hook & line.
Anyone else notice that the size of the red/orange margins in RES vary from one side to the other? One side is usually larger and more irregular than the other. IMO this makes it more difficult to accurately sex RES by examination of the ear tabs. I caught this one less than two weeks ago, I am pretty sure this one is male as the ear tab margins are large and red.
Shorty - I am not seeing a significant difference in the two ear tab margins while allowing for slightly different photographic angles. Are we looking at the black or red margin? Does someone have the ability to insert arrows pointing to the irregular margin? Very nice specimen and I agree it is very likely a male.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 11/21/1409:43 AM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
Females tend to have thinner orange margins where the width of the colored portion is much more even (parallel) from top to bottom on the ear tabs on both sides. Males tend to have one side or both where the colored margin is much wider/thicker towards the bottom of the ear tab.
Shorty, caught recently or is that an older picture?
Last time I went out a few days ago only got one light bite in an hour of fishing. Not seeing any FHM or small BG around the edge of the pond in the weeds like earlier. Water temp down to 43 degrees. Water is as clear as I've ever seen in in my pond. Can see the bottom in 5' water. Could actually see something diving but just can't convince myself to put on my 7 mil wetsuit to go look.
I assume the fish have went deep around structure?
I placed what I thought were 10 all male RES into my pond. One was not... 90% is pretty good accuracy, but not good enough. Fortunately, I wasn't that upset about the mistake. So far I have stocked over 3 dozen all male BG into the pond and 16 all male GSF. The big question will be if the RES female will only spawn with the male RES or look for some love from the BG or GSF. There will also be male and female RBS in the pond as of this spring.
CJBS2003, I'm curious if you have any update information to this very interesting pond stocking. Have you seen any recruitment RES/BG or GSF/RES hybrids?
I'm seriously considering building an additional half acre pond this coming spring. What I would like to try for stocking is FHM, RES (male & female) for the primary fish, then add a half dozen female GSF in hopes of getting some GRES hybrids. I would let the pond go two or three years and if/when over population looked to become a problem put some male only LMB in for recruitment control.
I have a sediment pond and forage pond with RES, an old pond with GSF and a 3 acre pond with LMB that I can use for stockers, so that will not be a problem.
I'm just curious to see how your mostly male pond with the male/female RES in it is turning out.
Now that I think I have figured out how to catch my RES, what kind of pictures do you want to see as we get closer to the spawn? Minimum size of RES to look at? Here are some I caught tonight.