Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Bluegill displacing green sunfish?

There is a public pond (more a drainage pond/ wetland) in a park near my house.

I was told fish got into the pond when a nearby creek flooded a few years ago.

Last year I caught lots of small green sunfish and just one bluegill.

This year I went back and caught lots more bluegill sunfish (including a couple 5-6 inchers) than green sunfish plus a chunky golden shiner.

Any ideas on why the bluegill are now dominating?

Thanks

This pond is in the Fletcher Community Park in Fletcher, NC.

Rookie guess - There's LMB in the pond which favor GSF over BG.

Never seen a LMB in there and my dad and I doubt there are any.

Could be wrong.

BG outspawn GSF, multiple times per year versus normally just once.

Depending on how many are caught by fishermen and birds, I think there will be cycles. The ratios will depend on the surviving population of large breeders of each species.

Adult GSF will heavily feed on young BG, up to about 2" in length. BG and shiners will eat a few GSF eggs and very small young, but won't have any impact on > .5" young.

Another wild card is availability of insect and other invertebrate forage.

BG will have a large impact on both GSF and BG #s from yoy size to 1.5in. BG in the 3 - 5in size have been noted to be the biggest eater of small sunfish (BG , LMB , GSF , RES etc). BG reproduce at between 8 and 10X that of GSF depending on the source reference.

Thanks for the info!

Would it be worth it to ask the state fish department to stock some predatory bass or something?

Here are some pictures of the pond in question: