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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122 |
At the beginning of the Summer, the Mrs. and I put some small Bluegill, RES and Warmouth in the pond, adhering strictly to the willy-nilly school of stocking theory. I was hoping they would be ready for a spawn next spring. Well surprise!! I've got schools of some sort of Lepomis, roaming the shallows and feeding on the food I'm tossing in nightly. I'd seen them but actually assumed they were fatheads. I caught some this evening and they are definitely sunfish of some sort. I'll get some more tomorrow when the camera is here, and see if anyone has ideas. What a cool surprise, the fish we put in were only 4-6 inches tops.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1 |
It's not unusual for sunfish that size to spawn. They could be older than you think also.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122 |
That's true, and I guess I realized in my head they could spawn; I was just amazed that ten fish in a 1/4 acre BOW managed to find each other, and an acceptable spot etc... It's one of those "this is so cool" moments.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939 |
Congrats on the new babies. My wife and I had the same situation 6 years ago. When we pulled up the minnow trap and saw those sunfish we couldn't believe it. A whole new world of wildlife managment opened up along with our check book.
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122 |
thanks mnfish, I know what you mean. Suddenly I'm reading all of the feeding threads and planning the next steps. Cha-ching!!
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939 |
I think the steep side of a learning curve is the most exciting. My wife and I started out with building a 1/8 acre duck pond. Six years later we turned that duck pond into a 1.5 acre fish pond. And a couple of years later added a 1/3 acre fish pond. I don't ever seem to get enough information or discover fast enough. I know from experience,as a new pond owner without any back ground in raising fish any good information is welcome. A lot of these guys on this web site are professionals and I am not but if you want I would be glad to give you stories of all the mistakes I've made over the years like killing an entire pond last winter. I just like to share my passion and learn from other outdoorsman.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,051 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,051 Likes: 277 |
Bring it on. Most of us have made mistakes and killed fish. It's like driving. If you do it long enough, you will have an accident.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122 |
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,490 Likes: 265
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,490 Likes: 265 |
Sure look like small BG to me. Congrats mom and dad !
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122 |
Excellent!! Thanks Ewest! Cigar anyone?
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,025 Likes: 1
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,025 Likes: 1 |
I dont smoke, but I'll have a cigar. Time to go shopping, for some fingerling LMB. Those bluegills will up and surprise you; I never figured out all the hoopla about spawning gravel and such. They WILL make babies.
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122 |
Time to go shopping, for some fingerling LMB. Funny that same thought just dawned on me this morning, while pouring my coffee. Suddenly you feel like the dog that caught the car. No worries though, just something else to feed the pond addiction hobby.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 939 |
I remember back when I caught the first baby BG's in our minnow trap. When I pulled up the trap all I had with me was a plastic Mt.Dew bottle. I poured out the soda or pop (depending on your region) and filled it with pond water, placed 1 BG minnow, and ran up to my neighbors to show him. I was so pleased that not only did they survived a MN winter but spawned as well. I was like a little kid that caught his first fish. Thanks for sharing your excitement. You got the fish "bug", look out!
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,966 Likes: 276
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,966 Likes: 276 |
... all I had with me was a plastic Mt.Dew bottle. I poured out the soda or pop ... Somebody restart my heart.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 122 |
... all I had with me was a plastic Mt.Dew bottle. I poured out the soda or pop ... Somebody restart my heart. Quick take another hit of the Dew, that'll dew it!
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Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
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