Has anyone ever stocked both regular bgills and coppernose? If so, what were the results. I will be receiving both regular bgill and lmb from the state. However, I am planning on adding some redears on my own and wondered what I could expect if I also stocked a few coppernose. I think I am far enough south(middle Tennessee) that they might stand a decent chance of survival. BTW, this is a new 3/4 acre spring fed pond. Average depth of 8 feet.

I tried regular and coppernose. Never saw a coppernose. Don't know what happened.

Coach,

I stocked copper nose and red ear....red ears disappeared completely and the copper nose flourished and somehow native BG are also now present although never stocked. I can't tell any appreciable difference in growth between natives and cooper nose, but that is certainly an unscientific finding.

I stocked only coppernose bluegill and redear for my sunfish population. I have had quite a few people ask me where the coppernose are with a small cooler or stringer full of them after fishing at the pond here. It seems they look at the bluegills first and assume that they are native bluegills. The males appear to have a much more pronounced band than the females.

I've caught a few redear but not many, but I've also caught some that look completely like redear, except the red is missing from the operculum ear flap. I don't know if they have somehow crossed with the coppernose but they are there.

JM - Do you have any good close photos of the redears with the red missing from the operculum ear flap?

Coach B,

Do you get any ice on your pond in Tennesee? If so, your coppernose won't make it through the winter. I know of one fish farm that tells me they even lose coppernose bluegills some winters at their farm in Arkansas if they get a colder than normal winter.

I don't know yet as this will be the first winter for our pond. I assume the spring water will help keep the water temp up, but only slightly. The inflow averages only between 10 and 15 gam into the 3/4 acre pond. I know many of our local ponds will freeze up occasionally during cold periods. However, they usually only freeze for a couple of weeks at a time.

I would still bet the farm coppernose won't make it in Tennessee. It's like putting a Florida bass in your pond.

Thanks for the advice. The reg bgills were put in a week or so ago. I'll just stick with those and put a 100 or so redears in next spring.

Coach B I just drove through your area, but thought this might help. I had a client in Lexington KY lose all his coppernose one winter. He only stocked redear and coppernose. Once he lost them we had to find large natvie bluegill and that cost some serious money. You might want to try some now since you can stock the smaller ones before the bass are stocked. For a small invest they might make it. If not oh well you can sleep at night not wondering about surviail chances.

I live near Gate City, VA which is in the SouthWestern corner of the state about 10 miles north of the TN/VA line. In May of 2001, I stocked 300 CopperNose bluegill & 100 Redears in my 1/3 acre pond. The CopperNose spawned in late September and early October of the first year. At one point in the winter of 2001/2002 the pond was frozen over solid for two weeks. The ice was so thick that my dogs walked on it. It usually freezes completely over for at least a couple of days a few times every winter. The CopperNose have survived and grown very well with no problems whatsoever. Right now the size of the CopperNose range from 2" to 8" or 9" and the pond is full of them.

My pond is spring fed and the deepest part is around 15' to 20'. The depth near the springs range from 2' to 6' and this is where the CopperNose are found throughout the winter. This may or may not be the reason that the CopperNose have done so well, but the fact remains that they have.

Larry

Thanks Larry,
If they are making it in Upper East TN and SW Virginia surely they stand a chance in southern middle TN. I guess like Greg stated I have very little to lose in giving them a try.

B Cody, if I ever get a digital camera I'll take some pictures of these fish that look like redear minus the red tint on the operculum ear flap. Maybe Christmas will bring such an item this year.

Coach B., I would think that Larry's Coppernose most likely overwintered due to the depth of the pond and the spring as he mentions.

JM - Be real good and Santa usually comes through.

I look forward to next spring.

I live in northern Illinois, and have a 2 acre pond which is now about 2 yrs old. It has been stocked with lmb, blugill, red ear, coppernose, catfish and black crappie. The pond has completely froze over. The copperose have flourished. The regular blue gill are 7 to 8 in. and the coppernose are upwards to 10 in. The pond is ground water fed, no creek input and averages about 10 ft deep the deepest hole being about 15ft. The lmb are reproducing and the largest caught has been 12 in. I have seen no sign however of the redear.

WOW!

We have only taken some 16 to 18 in catfish out. we thought this winter it might be time to take some bluegills. After reading many of the posts we decided to try and use the slot method. Only take bluegill between 4 and 7 inches and cats over 18. We have been concerned about the coppernose though with the cold winter tempatures. We have a Koender windmill and have made the decision to not aerate this winter. We have read the many post on winter aeration and water tempatures and feel that the warmer deep water would be beneficial to the coppernose. This winter so far has been mild, with no ice as of yet. I would like to hear from anyone else in the northern states who might have coppernose.