Guys,

I have a couple 3 or so HBG in my pond with my BG. Looking for opinions just out of curiosity cause it is obviously out of my control. Is HBG X BG a good thing, ok thing, bad thing, etc?

Thanks,

Bill D.

I'm in the ok camp.

BTW there are PS in the pond as well. I guess HBG X PS is also a possibilty. Wouldn't that be interesting!!

Out of the 1500 BG stocked I have caught around 50 hybrids that slipped in with the BG.

I have seen no ill effects and I enjoy catching them. I would not worry about it.

If they cross back with a few BG likely would have hybrids with lessening GSF characteristics.

Bill, that's the way to get the dreaded and often maligned GSF. You need to eliminate them before you get your wrist broken when they bite. And if they bite you on the finger, you can change your logon name to stubby.

That doesn't seem to be working out for me. I had a few, how many I don't know, got in with some bluegill. They grew great and were fun to catch but they crossed with bluegill like crazy. I've been running 2 minnow traps daily and if I catch 30 small fish, 20 of them have have strong GSF characteristics. I've been culling them and removing every one I catch while fishing also. The larger ones go to the table and those too small to eat get tossed. There's nothing wrong with the crosses but I just prefer straight bluegill. I know I'm fighting a losing battle but I guess it makes me feel better to try.

I put one little male GSF in my puddle. I caught him once and he was definitely not happy about it! I'm hoping he finds a BG or PS girlfriend! Those hybrids sure are a blast to catch!!

How do you know it needs a girlfriend and not a boyfriend?

Would it be possible some wild GSF got into your pond somehow? Sure seems like a lot of people have trouble with that happening. If one or two or a few pure GSF got in and crossed with your hybrids I could sure see the GSF characteristics come out. And I don't know enough about the F2's to know, so they may show more GSF for all I know. I was just assuming that a hybrid crossed with a BG would tend more towards BG, but that was just what seemed logical to me.

He flipped me a fin when I released him!

I'm not sure which genes tend to be dominant. I don't see how and GSF could get into the pond. No ponds or streams close and the pond gets no runoff to speak of and hasn't overflowed the spillway since it was cleaned out. The 2-3 inch fish seem to run the gamut. Some are all bluegill, some look a bit more like bluegill with a bit of GSF indicators, and most look like small HBG. However, the 1 and 2 year old ones take on the longer and less height of GSF. I see some big bluegill somewhere around a pound when I feed but rarely catch any. The HBG and their offspring, whatever they are, are very aggressive and generally take the bait first. I am removing as many with HBG characteristics as I can and replace them with pure bluegill.

It is highly unlikely even at a 50 50 ratio of BG to GSF that the GSF would out reproduce the BG. Post pics of them including a look at the gill rakers. The amount(#)and viability of F-2 through F-X is questionable and they would not out reproduce BG. Don't know if this helps or even addresses the questions.

I find that my GSF are ever willing to help me dispose of fingerling LMB in my bass heavy pond. I'll occasionally toss a few dazed YOY bass out to the green sharks. I certainly get a kick out of the way the GSF streak from 10' or 15' away to nail the baby bass floundering on the surface. Paybacks certainly are H**l. It is my experience that a lip hooked 3" long LMB will interest any GSF in the pond.
Earlier this summer I traded 20 LMB to a guy for 26 GSF. That seems to have made a noticeable reduction in the plethora of YOY LMB, and that's the direction I want to go.

I like that story.

I knew you would. I've been a lurking GSF fan since I was a kid in the 50s and 60s in Pennsylvania catching them from the Ironstone Creek on anything we threw in. Bubblegum wadded on a hook-sure.
We had no BG in that creek-didn't need 'em!

I have never heard of anyone using GSF for LMB control. That's a pretty unique idea.

I consider them my junk yard dog fish. Those mutts have an attitude.

Our HBG and LMB consume each other regularly. No issues with recruitment of undesirable fish, of either species, going on 7 years now.