i call this my shark cage. i have used it over the years to hold fish for various reasons. a few months ago i started tossing feed in the feed ring that floats inside the cage. these little bg started hanging out in the cage for feed and to escape predation. i try to feed them once or twice a day. i think this is a pretty neat way to grow up a few decent bg to be released in your pond especially if you need to bump up your bg population. even though these are fry from my original stockers, i am curious if this would help any with the gene pool since they missed a season of inbreeding? i never used small feed, only am 600 and a little optimal a few times.

https://goo.gl/photos/yHpG4THvgSSuwUsY8

https://goo.gl/photos/y8yzUpy3CrYdMkoK8

First, are those hand-paint bluegill?

In a pond setting I would not be worried about inbreeding.

they are coppernose

Scott - good information and idea for others to produce some small BG into larger BG. Thanks for sharing and the helpful pictures.

Ok, thanks.

@scott69,

Do you know what river system they come from originally?

[quote=Centrarchid]@scott69,

Do you know what river system they come from originally? [/quote

i would think that most people including myself are buying them from pond stockers that get them from hatcheries. mine came from american sportfish in montgomery,al

Some hatcheries indicate stock source. You are in area where Coppernose likely not native. The Coppernose stocks can vary quite a bit. Yours look like out of southern Florida.