Not sure if this an all Condello strain gill or partially as I planted bluegills I got from Bruce last year in a production pond with a few adults I had. However it does have that classic round form of a Condello strain gill.

This little porker hatched last July so he's just under a year old. Considering he was outdoors in a floating cage from November to March -- where growth was probably nil or negligible up here in northern Indiana -- I think 5 inches isn't too bad.

So five inches in 6 months of growing temps?




Thank you Bruce!

That little cutie looks a lot like fish I've seen around here lately!

I'll make like Ken Holyoke and claim ownership.

What's next - "Hogdello"?

"Conderosa Colossus"

Dang!! How can I get my hands on some of those bad boys? That makes my Hybrid Bluegills look like chumps!

Give up your first born, so they can be used to work with the mad scientists in their quest for the 6 lb BG...

Please no, no, no!

Baird bluegills X Condello bluegills ='s

Bordello bluegills.

And you wonder why you get moderated.

BSBG - Bordello Strain Bluegill or "BS" for short?

Oh no they are the real deal.

Contact Bruce Condello! My goal is to supply fish for myself and I am at a disadvantage in that any fish I ship out of state have to be tested for VHS which I am now finding out could be well over $300.00 just for one lot. I have to pay a vet to come out and take samples and then pay for lab testing. With Bruce not being in a Great Lakes state he shouldn't have to do any testing.

I also don't feel comfortable profiting off of Bruce's time and effort in genetic selection. I'm just happy to be able to use the superior genetics for my own use.

One other fly in the ointment this year is I screwed up and didn't keep the bluegill production pond drained until just before fertilization like I should have. I can't get an algae bloom going to save my life for zooplankton production (seechi dish can be seen on the bottom in the pond's deepest water at 8 feet), and it's probably due to some submerged vegetation taking hold and sucking up the nutrients. Cooler than normal temps may not be helping either. I may be lucky to get a half decent crop this year. The best case scenario will be fewer fish. The worst case scenario will be fewer fish and poor body condition until I can get them on feed.



Live and learn!

I guess I'm a little rough around the edges for you little twinkies.

Oh one more plus for CSBG's. They seem to handle stress quite well. I moved them to a larger cage and larger pond this morning and they were already feeding this evening. Compare that to the yellow perch I transferred: Very poor feeding in the cage this evening. Most likely it will take a few days for the perch to get back to normal.

Those sissy perch.

In addition to intentionally selecting for big appetite and fast growth, I think Bruce has handled and sorted and sized the CSBG ancestors so much that this is another trait they have.

That's because simply moving a CSBG to another area is nothing compared to the horrors these poor, genetically engineered behemoths, endured while residing at the Condello Institute for the Creation of Ludicrously Proportioned Blue Gill.

Someday CSBG will take over the world and us mere humans will be forced to stand by automatic feeders perpetually hitting the "test" button.

Very possible Theo. Those that weren't stressed by this and grew well in spite of it were culled out as the fastest growers.

I'm convinced Bruce also selected them for aggressiveness at the same time, as they bite on the cage when they are trying to get at feed on the outside of the cage. You can actually hear little popping sounds.

I've got some in a cage right now, and yes, they bite on the cage as well.

See I wasn't lying!

Are you secretly cross-breeding your bluegill with piranhas, Bruce?

I think he also has that guy Mongo from Blazing Saddles talk really nasty to them at least once a day just to make them meaner.

All I know is we had one try and bite a nipple off my dad's chest while we were swimming! He said it smarted! I think his nipple is the size of an Aquamax 5D06.

Maybe pasties are on order?

TMI

Oh don't be a politically correct twinkie CJ!

There's nothing political about that... With my job I've seen it all, but the mental picture! Oh the humanity!

I second that.

Cecil, he called you a twinkie. Is that better or worse than a ding dong?

No, I called him a twinkie. It's my affectionate term for all those on here that get easily offended or think all my posts are political.