I have been follow the forum for a long Time. Great information out there to help everyone manage their ponds and lakes.

I am trying to restore a forage base in a 236 acre lake at Innsbrook Resort near Warrenton MO. I caught a few smaller fish in a trap last weekend. I was trying to determine what species. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Both fish look stunted. First picture is of a Bluegill. Second picture is a Redear Sunfish

Thanks for providing information on each species. When you say they look stunted, how did you assess that condition? They were only 1 to 2 inches in length.

More the first fish, but it’s all in the eyes. Body size doesn’t match eye size. Usually on panfish I notice large eyes on small fish means that fish didn’t get its meals as often as it should have. If that first fish was 1.5” I would venture to say he’s short a inch in growth. Just my observation, others may chime in.

Snake is on target, fish exhibit signs of stunted growth due to the large eye.

Appreciate all the advice and analysis on the fish. Since I have feeders, should I be feeding small size food? I have been feeding Optimal BG Jr but cut it back last two weeks. I had great success on increasing size of stocked BG in May with our feeding program.

I would feed smaller sized food IF you want that small class to grow more than normal. I have FHM's and some HBG YOY that get after the Optimal #4 really well. The #4 is a bit big for the minnows, but they sure push it around and make good use of it. Once the minnow population dwindles in my small pond, I will not likely supply the smaller feed because I am not so interested in growing the YOY. I suspect I will ladder stock my HBG and HSB and do not need to grow the offspring.

It seems like it's a baby fish who just born recently, why do you catch it, better to let it grow

Wanted to provide a quick update on our restocking program. We have stocked about 9000 BG that were 3 to 6 inches when stocked during the spring of 2018 and 2019. This past spring we changed fish hatcheries and the quality of the fish was much better. We have nine feeders going from April till October. We started the year with Optimal BG Jr. and then switched to Optimal BG. Our BG have increased in size and weight. We are seeing a lot of fish in the 7 to 10 inch range with good RW.

I did catch a couple of unique fish last weekend. Fish A, I would say is a GSF. Fish B, seemed like a GSF but it's mouth was more like a BC and the body seemed a LMB. Any suggestions on cross breeding?

I'd say all are green sunfish or are heavy on green sunfish genes. Sometimes GSF crosses can look a bit different but the large mouth and color on the fins, plus the blue lines on the side of the head are indicative of GSF.

I thought it was a GSF. One of the largest I have caught in the lake. I keep culling them since that big mouth has me think of all the YOY BG it could be eating. Thanks for confirming.

I agree, heavy on GSF but I don't recall seeing vertical barring that "black". Water color and time of day have a lot to do with coloring so they may be pure GSF..??

Both green sunfish, and whopper sized.

Good for the skillet or trotline bait in the Missouri River.

Our water has no color. It is clear to about 13 feet on the Secchi disk. One of the clearest lakes in MO by the water quality standards maintained by the DNR. Yes, I know it it difficult to grow good size fish in that type of environment. Both fish were in the evening.

Can I get an ID on these 2? Sorry being color dosnt make this learning these ease for me.

Rusto,

They look like crappie to me. They don't have much black on them so whether they are white or black crappies …..I can kind of see what little black that is there is aligned in vertical bars which would make them white crappies. If the black coloration is scattered across their flanks in no apparent pattern, they would be blacks.

Those are WCP buddy...
5-6 dorsal spines White
7-8, Black
Pattern and body shape say White too.

Thank you fellas. Do they look healthy? I know they are small (dinks). Nobody has took anything out of my pond in several years. Besides some CC that is.

Those are at the least, 1.5 yr olds and possibly 2.5. Body condition look a bit lean.

I agree with Snipe - need more food/harvest.

Should I start taking all of them out I catch? 5 years ago there was some nice size in there. Should i put a trap, or throw net, or catch n fryem all.

I'm sure you posted it somewhere but, how big is your pond and what kinds of fish are in it? IMO You might want to consider adding a few open water predators like HSB to help reduce future WCP recruitment while you work on catching and eating the current crop! I've read a few articles in recent years where HSB have been identified as a valuable tool in controlling crappies in smaller BOWs.

I have several different fish in mine. Crappie,3 koi, catfish, bass, perch, 2 grass carp. It was only about alil smaller than an a 1/2ac. Just finished digging it out. Now it should be around 3/4ac. I would love 2 add some HSB in my bow. The fish truck that comes to town doesn't have them. I havnt really looked into getting them somewhere else.

Harbin carries them. Straight west of ya on 400.

In the mean time harvest the crap out of those WCP, they reproduce like mice, have a similar situation in a neighbors pond that I have been left to manage, if you dont harvest a bunch of WCP every year you will have stunted ones by the next year, but if you do harvest plenty, just when you think you have eaten all of them you will start catching some really nice sized ones. jme

Well I will start keeping all of them I guess. I use to always think I didnt want to take any out. The more the merrier for the kids. But there not much fun if you dont even feel them on ur line. Iv never been good at cleaning them. Practice makes perfect right. I normally end up with lil tiny nuggets of fish. Oh well it all frys up the same right. Thank you for all the help fellas. I wish I was more help to you guys but as my dad always told me. Son it's a good thing you got a strong back because are minds are weak.