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#497574 10/16/18 09:28 PM
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Hi all. I know little about this species other than what I’m reading here. Have an older sand pit 1.5 acre I’m trying to refurbish the best I can. What are the benefits of these and are they worth trying? I’m just a fan of a bonus fish if they will do ok. How many to try ? I don’t think I have too many lmb to deal with. I hope. So looking at yoy to stock. Help and thanks

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Shorty, TJ, Bruce and myself all reside in Nebraska and have had great success with RES. Shorty and TJ are certainly the guys to talk to about it as they really know their RES. I put mine in 3-4 years ago, and by the beginning of year 3 nearly 50% of the ones I caught were over 10". I'm almost certain since you have a sandpit that there is some warmer water toward the bottom in the winter time where they can seek refuge and not only survive, but thrive. Shorty did have issues with some winter kill in 2016 if I recall correctly. So hopefully he will chime in here and discuss that.

One word of advice I would follow or at least attempt to, try to source your RES from someone in Nebraska. It may increase your chance of survival with the assumption that fish with northern genetics have better genetic makeup to survive the harsh winters.


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The basic benefit from having RES is that they tend to eat a lot of snails. RES are also known as "shellcrackers". Snails are a part of the lifecycle of a parasite called Black Grub or Black Spot Disease. Here's a short read on the subject...

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3395.htm

And, a thread regarding my first encounter with the buggars...

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=37965&Number=494448#Post494448

I stocked about 100 RES earlier this year in my 1/4 acre pond and have not see one since. I am sure they are their, but are either very timid, very smart, or full of snails because I can't get them on a hook. I believe they tend to bite on worms best and I have not tried them, only spinners and fake pellets.


Fish on!,
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You should get them as soon as possible. I would buy fewer larger fish to stock if you have any bass already in your pond. I have the black spot disease in my lake (60 acres). Every fish I caught had spots on them, put 200 4 to 5 inch RES in the spring of 2016 and this year I have only caught 1 fish with the spots out of 100's. Have not caught a RES on a pole they do not bite very well in my water, but have caught them with a cast net. So I know they are still there. You need to put them in for the health of your other fish.


61 acre water shed lake. bass, channel cat, black crappie, wiper, walleye, redear sunfish, blue catfish and bluegill. To many bullhead and common carp
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They are one of the most difficult fish to catch using traditional fishing methods. Very light jighead (1/32oz or lighter) tipped with worm and slowly worked toward the bottom, and preferably early morning or evening works best.


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I like what I'm hearing. Thanks guys. I'm planning on getting the red ears from the Orschelns fish day for the fact the hatchery I'm getting the rest of my fish from doesn't happen to have any at this time and I'm wanting to get them started. Anyone had good/bad luck with Nemo Hatchery that does the Orschelens fish day? Appears they are out of Missouri which goes against NEDOC recommendation unfortunately but would sure take any advice on where else to get them?

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In addition to what NEDOC says it helps in catching them if they are the only sunfish in the pond. I catch one rarely in my main pond where there are also BG along with some GSF and hybrids. I can catch them much better in a couple of ponds where they are the dominant sunfish, although they can still be hard to catch.

My theory is three fold why they are so hard to catch. First in most ponds are just the sheer numbers and odds. The RES population might only be one RES to a hundred or maybe even a thousand BG. So by nothing more than odds it is much less likely to catch a RES. Second they are not nearly as aggressive to bite an artificial bait. So if you have a hundred hungry BG around your cast and one finicky RES, which is more likely to take the bait? Third their range of preferred food items is less than the BG. So it takes a narrower group of baits they are willing to take.

I seem to be able to catch the small and medium size RES in RES only ponds reasonably well on some days. The big ones are much harder for me to entice to bite a hook.

RES information thread and links to other threads about RES

Last edited by snrub; 10/17/18 11:03 AM.

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I cannot speak directly regarding Nemo, but I can say that you will be better off, even if it's only slightly better off, if you can get the fish straight from the farm where they are bred. I have been told that Nemo gets some of their fish from other farms for the Fish Days and the Fish Day's fish are typically second string picks.

I am not knocking anyone in the fish industry. I think this occurs regularly and fish farmers work together to move fish around and deliver orders.

For example, I know that a particular fish farm in Missouri only produces a few of the fish on their website. The remainder of the species are sourced from other fisheries, some out of state. The farm has the facilities (Trucks, buildings, water, tanks, etc.) and they run delivery routes that take them by other farms so picking other breeds up is often paid for by the previous customer. That is one of the reasons a farm will not have your selection for weeks...they have a delivery to Texas coming up and they will pick up your HSB on the way back.

Point is...get your fish from the farm where they are raised if you can, otherwise you don't know where they came from.


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I'd try calling Rob Hofpar at Nebraska Lake Management and see if he can source some for you. It would be worth a try. If not, send me a PM next spring and I'll see if I can net you some. Shorty and I think the genetics in my pond might be a little more winter friendly.

Here's Rob's website....

http://www.nelakes.net/


Just a Pond Boss 'sponge'
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Originally Posted By: NEDOC
I'd try calling Rob Hofpar at Nebraska Lake Management and see if he can source some for you. It would be worth a try. If not, send me a PM next spring and I'll see if I can net you some. Shorty and I think the genetics in my pond might be a little more winter friendly.

Here's Rob's website....

http://www.nelakes.net/


I did give him a call. He said he is swamped with fall orders but could get on the spring list. Not a huge deal as fish are not going to grow a whole lot between now and then anyhow so I may wait until spring. He has some 4-6in that would be good in case there are some bass in there that I am not aware of.


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