Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations More green sunfish questions

I have greenies as I know many others on here do. I have about learned to live with them. I have quit throwing the out. I have done LOTS of reading about them. Many observations of them being a decent forage...but then many that say they are not. I have read that they spawn once a year...I have read that they spawn multiple times a year. I have decided to let them go. I also have LMB and BG. I stocked the LMB and BG last year around this same time..well the 8th of July to be exact. I read where I could add a few larger LMB to help with the GSF so I did. I added 10 LMB that were 8-12". I have read that the GSF will eventually come under control. I also feed...my GSF are VERY healthy...lol.

Questions on GSF

Spawn once or multiple times a year??
Will my BG eventually overtake them??
Are they a decent forage for my LMB??
Can you tell the difference in BG and GSF beds? My pond seems to ALWAYS have beds in it through the summer. More this year than last year.

I ask these questions because I have read older and newer posts and many different references online with different answers.

Thanks!!

You get different answers either due to the one providing the answers is incorrect or there is variability in the answer as in "it all depends". Sometimes both occur together. Generally basic science is consistent in the answer to most questions. In biological science or functions things are rarely entirely "black and white" or yes / no. There is usually 'it all depends' as an answer.

I've had GSF for about 20 years and have never seen a problem with them. I'm a GSF fan due to the fight that they let me enjoy.

They generally spawn only once per year.

I seine my forage pond that is loaded with GSF every year and add them to my larger pond. But, I rarely catch one. They can't compete with BG and their multiple spawns. Quite a few years ago, my larger pond, 1+ acres, was about 70%BG and 30% GSF. After a couple of years the GSF had been pretty well wiped out.

IMO, their more fusiform shape makes them easier for bass to feed on.

I can't tell the difference in their beds but have never really tried.

Last year I caught what had to be a 1+ pound GSF. But the only thing that identified it as partial GSF was the green markings on the jaw area. The rest looked pure BG. I have no idea how many times that fish had crossed. It may have been only 10% GSF but it clearly wasn't a pure BG. No pic because my Wife no longer lets me take my phone even around the ponds.

I'm with Dave, I love my GSF. I don't have any Bass in my pond. They do put up a good fight!

When my GSF were spawning earlier this year I noticed that they were right up next to the bank in about 9" of water. I saw BG in the same area only deeper. They seemed to be spawning shallower than the BG.

I do not know if this is a specific or normal trait, just what I observed this year. It is also possible that the ones seen could have been hybrid males. I could not tell that for sure, only that they definitely were not pure BG as the markings were clearly GSFish.

I like the hybrids with GSF genes, either RESxGSF or BGxGSF.

Some links for others interested in GSF.

100% GSF

GSF

Fingerling GSF, BG, RES and hybrid ID

Mr. Cody, thanks for your response, I do understand variables and differences in a study and I know mine is different, but I guess I was just hoping to get that definitive answer...lol. What have bee some of your observations of GSF and BG beds and when and where they are?? You know none of us like the "it all depends" answer...although it is very true. lol

Farm, I do enjoy the GSF, the kids love them, they seem to NEVER get shy, and fight harder than anything else thier size.

Dave, what you said is about the same as most of what I have read. The ones that would throw the wrench in were normally from a university or gov study and such. I trust the "real world" observations more than those because they are so controlled. I would figure that my pond will be similar to what you stated.

Snrub, thanks for your oberservations. One reason I asked this was the fact that I have beds all summer, I never go to the pond and don't see them. My twin girls and I were looking at them the other day and saw one that the male would not come off of. I saw what looked like a BG or maybe a HBG that would try to get on the bed, then a large GSF would run it off. I knew it was because of the very light coloring around the edge...I do not know the tech term, and you could see the jaw markings. I mean that dude would hammer anything that got close. I also see beds that are nearly on the edge of the water...I mean you wouldn't think they could make one so close to the edge, but they do. Its just pretty interesting to me when I know what I read, then I see these beds all summer, and we rarely ever catch a BG...nearly a GSF every cast. We have caught 2 nice BG this year... a couple of the bass I put in last year...and LOTS of GSF...ranging from 4" to a couple that I should have photographed and measured but were over 10". So maybe these are BG beds and the GSF males are running the BG males off and I'm getting hybrids maybe??

Thanks guys for jumping in.

I will try to get some pics of these beds this evening and post up so you guys can see.