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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131
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OP
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131 |
A little while back I caught a fish that pond boss members found was a longear. I caught another today and need to know if I should take action.
3 ponds mountains of NC. One 5 acre and two 1/4 acre ponds. SMB Redbreast sunfish LMB YP CC brook trout WE and warmouth perch
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131
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OP
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131 |
3 ponds mountains of NC. One 5 acre and two 1/4 acre ponds. SMB Redbreast sunfish LMB YP CC brook trout WE and warmouth perch
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
I think you need to look at the bigger picture. Are there any other species present that you hadn't counted on? Are you happy with all other aspects of the pond/fish?
Longears don't usually attain a very large size and they wouldn't be my first choice for stocking, but, depending upon your goals for the pond, and unless they are thick enough to warrant a total BOW eradication, I probably wouldn't worry too much about a few.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,533 Likes: 838
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,533 Likes: 838 |
What are the goals for the pond?
Personal taste here, I like diversity. Look at my signature and see what fish are in my pond.....
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131
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OP
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131 |
Goals Are Walleye And SMB with few catfish and sunfish harvests
3 ponds mountains of NC. One 5 acre and two 1/4 acre ponds. SMB Redbreast sunfish LMB YP CC brook trout WE and warmouth perch
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131
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OP
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131 |
My worry is that they seem to not grow big enough for eating and might out compete the redbreast sunfish as redbreast don't spawn as much as bluegill.
3 ponds mountains of NC. One 5 acre and two 1/4 acre ponds. SMB Redbreast sunfish LMB YP CC brook trout WE and warmouth perch
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,533 Likes: 838
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,533 Likes: 838 |
Look at them as a forage fish then if they don't grow large. Something different to catch for the kids.
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131
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OP
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 131 |
Long as there is no worry about them taking over I agree.
3 ponds mountains of NC. One 5 acre and two 1/4 acre ponds. SMB Redbreast sunfish LMB YP CC brook trout WE and warmouth perch
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 904 Likes: 1
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 904 Likes: 1 |
I'm a huge fan of diversity so IMHO more is better as long as you don't end up with something that invasively affects the overall scheme. I can't imagine LES causing too much heartache with SMB and WE present as predators.
Dale "When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water." - anonymous
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 74
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 74 |
I have certainly fished ponds (that also had bluegill) where longear were a VERY significant portion of the sunfish population I caught. And they are pretty, but it's like catching bluegill from a stunted population.
Lots of hybridization with bluegill as well (makes from some pretty fish sometimes though). In natural lakes in the Mississippi drainage that I've fished (in northeast Louisiana), I can't think of a more significantly observed hybrid than longer x bluegill.
I would think they are absolutely fine if your sunfish are just to provide forage for your predators, but I would share in your concern with them (along with the bluegill) crowding out the redbreast due to reproduction.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Redbreast sunfish tend to out compete longear sunfish where the two are found together from man made introductions, Texas for example. Longears were introduced into the Potomac River drainage of MD/VA/WV where redbreast are native. Although, they've established, their numbers are very low compared to the native rebreasts.
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,678 Likes: 2
Hall of Fame
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Hall of Fame
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,678 Likes: 2 |
They are a beautiful fish. The creeks and rivers around here are full of them. Best FHC bait you can get for the trotline in my opinion.
Last edited by John Wann; 08/07/14 09:47 AM.
If you ain't gonna fart, why eat the beans? . RES,HBG,YP,HSB,SMB,CC,and FHM. .seasonal trout.
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,678 Likes: 2
Hall of Fame
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Hall of Fame
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,678 Likes: 2 |
Those LES eat up snails too. We caught this FHC off one.
If you ain't gonna fart, why eat the beans? . RES,HBG,YP,HSB,SMB,CC,and FHM. .seasonal trout.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,053 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,053 Likes: 277 |
John, it seems a travesty to put a hook through anything that pretty. I've never seen one of those but would love to have some.
Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 08/07/14 04:47 PM.
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: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
Around here, most creeks are full of em'. Between them and the chubs, it's an all out assault on your bait.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 275
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 275 |
Around here, most creeks are full of em'. Between them and the chubs, it's an all out assault on your bait. Isn't it amazing how one species of fish can be common in an area but rarely seen a few miles away? I'm probably less than 80 miles from you and never caught one in my life. Only one ditch I know of here where you can routinely even catch Pumpkinseeds. Those are beautiful fish. How big to they get? I think I would like some in an aquarium better than most tropical fish, but I think I'll pass on them in my ponds.
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979 Likes: 14 |
A big one from the creeks around here might go 5". Might. And they are at their brightest during the spawn. They are less flashy at other times, and perhaps a regional influence also plays a part. The ones I see have a little more blue to them than the one in the photo that John posted.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 74
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 74 |
John, it seems a travesty to put a hook through anything that pretty. I've never seen one of those but would love to have some. They should be all over the trinity drainage and the DFW area lakes if you wanted to bucket stock some. Best way to get them IMHO is to fish a little shallower cover than you find bluegill, and you catch them scattered about on typical sunfish bait. You never really just hammer a bed of large males like you do on bluegill. They are all over the rivers in East Texas. Here's one out of a tiny creek on our place that is in the San Jacinto drainage.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,053 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,053 Likes: 277 |
Taylor, I've never seen them anywhere here. But, I'd certainly like to.
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: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,012
Hall of Fame
Junior Member
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Hall of Fame
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,012 |
I caught 4 or 5 in lake Hamilton near Hot Springs on vacay last week; good looking fish! Not sure they'd live in the deep south and it's too bad they don't get as big as BG or CNBG
1 ac pond LMB, BG, RES, CC
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