Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Show off your catch Another HBG?

I wasn't intending on catching any bluegill but this one was caught while using a shiner to try to catch some of the elusive bigger bass in one of my smaller ponds. Weight was .81oz and didn't get a measurement. There are quite a few bigger ones in there that I'll try to catch when I'm not in bass mode. On a side note I can't figure out why there are loads of BG ranging from 2-10'' and not many hiding places in a pond that's only 3/4 acre. Don't get how the smaller gills havent been eliminated.

Perhaps a hybrid between a BG and RES????

? BG X PS

PS and BG often cross and the cross tends to be larger than the PS parent. If BG and PS numbers are out of balance (only a few of one species) in the pond a few crosses are to be expected.

PS X BG Pumpkinseed – Bluegill cross Lyons WiscFish

If you click through the photos in the link below, towards the latter part of the list start the pictures of various hybrids of the pumpkinseed fish.

Pumpkinseed (with hybrids later in the list of pictures)

Pumpkinseed makes more sense for his location.

Wish I could find such a listing for RES.

sunfish hybrids/variants is super tough for me. It doesn't help that not everyone agrees either.

For example, I'm researching RES hybrids as it appears my pond has RES/LES hybrids.

I came across this guide and some pictures with labels. I'm pretty sure even this official 'guide' is wrong as if you scroll down you will find 2 fish labeled RES or Shell crackers. The top of the 2 pictures probably RES but certainly look like the mottled pigment pattern of warmouth/crappie, the bottom one? Not sure that is labeled correctly at all.

Then they have warmouth and a rock bass labeled and I'm not sure the rock bass is correct either, or at least looks different then the rock bass in our lakes in MI.

Anyone care to look at the pictures in this link and tell me if I'm all wet about the RES not being correct?

Tennessee sunfish ID guide

I too would love someone to share any pictures or guides to identifying RES hybrids.

Agree that Fish Fan's fish looks like Pumpkinseed hybrid

Looked at the Tenn link . I think they are correct. I have seen that exact RES pic from other sources . It is not the best RES pic . See my pic below which is on FishBase .

Could that be due to regional differences?

I have noticed some of the RES have that pronounced "snout" that seems to protrude more than a BG, then others don't. Most of mine don't, or do they just get this as they get bigger/older?

I caught 25 or thirty BG in about 45 minutes today and if a person was only going by visual appearances there were enough differences in coloration a person who had not seen various BG might even think they were different species of fish. They all had the proper BG characteristics, but they sure had a lot of different coloration.

snrub I have seen the exact same thing with BG at many places.