Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Fish ID question

Just started catching these in my new pond through the ice this week and want to make sure I am calling them the right species, so is this a RES or a Hybrid Bluegill. Im leaning towards the Hybrid Bluegill but the colors are quite faded making it a little harder to Identify. Also is the first one the same as the 2nd and 3rd where the colors are better??






Best one was a hair over 8" and were stocked as 2-3" this past May, so its good to see the PGFC I threw all summer had paid off!

Next question, how will the growth of regular Bluegills and RES ( if this is a Hybrid BG) compare to this since this is all I can catch in the pond so , so far the YP, BC, Regular BG and HSB have all evaded capture so far. I have caught about 20 of these guys so far. I am gonna hit it again in a few minutes so maybe I can get some more of the other species.

Salmonid

Definitely not a RES. Looks like a hybrid to me... Fish through the ice often have a very pale coloration to them.

Looks like a hybrid to me.

I was pretty sure they were hybrids but wanted to make sure. BTW, my buddy and I just got done fishing on the ice (4+") and landed another 8 or so of these hybrids, my buddy caught a big Golden Shiner and I took about a 11" or so Channel cat so that was pretty cool, I ll add pics later of the CC.
Thanks guys
Salmonid

Looks like HBG to me.

Ok, as promised, here are the pics of the beautiful little channel cat I took today through the ice.




Enjoy....
Salmonid

Did you stock HBG? And if so, in what numbers?

Wow. That is an incredibly beautiful wiskered trout. I've never before seen one that colorful. I think I'd have had to throw it back after I took the pictures. I wonder if it is because of the cold, or some other factor, that is looks so fantastic.

Can't say I have ever heard of a CC being caught through the ice. I didn't think they actively fed in cold water like that. Learn something new every day!

Stocking rates for the 3/4 acre pond were 200 BG, 200 HBG and 100 RES. Also 40 CC. All done back in May.

As far as catching channels through the ice, its very common here in Ohio. I fish the Ohio and Great Miami Rivers all winter long and we catch a ton of channels and a few Blue cats even when the water is down to like 35-37 degrees. Both the BC and CC are very aggressive cold water biters!

I also agree he was one of the prettiest channels I ever caught, and he was quickly released right after the photo session just like all the other fish.

Salmonid

I snag a lot of CC's accidentally in the winter. They hold about 6 ft off the bottom in huge schools in the Potomac River. If you purposely tried, I suppose you could catch 100's, but since it is illegal in VA, I only get them accidentally when fishing for white and yellow perch... Cool, that you can catch them through the ice out your way though. I know the blue cats in the Potomac are very cold water friendly. They work the schools of lethargic shad over real good in Feb and March. Lots of great fishing!

Mark B,
I'm interested in where your fish came from. A local fish hatchery? We will be stocking a newly constructed pond in Indiana, in the spring. We are from the Dayton area as well.

You've got me worried.

I regularly fish in Virginia, and I didn't think that Virginia had any size limits, daily possession limits, or season on channel cats. Is this possibly just on the part of the Potomac below the 301 bridge to the bay?

Thanks,
Ken

that cc maust be mutant because her in texas its to cold to catch them in the winter.

CC are legal to catch year round and in most bodies of water there is no size or creel limit. What I was referring to was snagging them purposely. You cannot snag fish in VA or MD purposely. If you could, you could make a killing on those schooled up winter CC. The Potomac River itself has a 10" size limit though...

Thanks for the update.

Ken