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Joined: Jan 2006
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Moderator Lunker
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OP
Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
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It has almost become a mantra to eliminate Green Sunfish.
Why? What is the REAL downside? Just what damage do they really do?
Yeah, I know that they have a large mouth and compete with LMB. Just how bad is that? I also know that they seldom reach the ultimate size of of a BG or CNBG and thus take up water space. (D.I.E.D. would disagree here.) Yeah, they spawn earlier but seldom more than once and become early predators. Is that real bad?
OK, here we go. Hit me. The bell is ringing for Round one.
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 2005
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Posts: 21,499 Likes: 267 |
It all depends on your goals Dave. Interesting questions - I will set ring side and watch - at least for a while.
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,615 Likes: 5
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,615 Likes: 5 |
So far the only down side that I can see is that you get labeled an nut squad, kook, deranged, lunatic, mentally incompetent. You hear phrases whispered like..
doesn't have both oars in the water,
elevator doesn't go to the top floor,
lights are on, but nobody's home,
one sandwich short of a picnic,
one taco short of a combination plate,
wheel is turning but the hamster is dead.
Course then again some of my posts may have something to do with this treatment also.
Last edited by jeffhasapond; 09/22/07 11:00 AM.
JHAP ~~~~~~~~~~ "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." ...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,975 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,975 Likes: 277 |
So far the only down side that I can see is that you get labeled an nut squad, kook, deranged, lunatic, mentally incompetent. You hear phrases whispered like..
doesn't have both oars in the water,
elevator doesn't go to the top floor,
lights are on, but nobody's home,
one sandwich short of a picnic,
one taco short of a combination plate,
wheel is turning but the hamster is dead.
Course then again some of my posts may have something to do with this treatment also. You can't blame those poor GSF for ANY of that.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,261
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,261 |
we at the GSA shall not rest until the good word about these terribly misunderstood "hearty denizens of our ponds" has spread across the country!! In terms of significance (cause and effects) to LMB growth, i think GSF contribute way more as forage than they do as "stealing" food from the bass.
GSF are people too!
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 165
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 165 |
Well Dave I certainly do not want to get on the "s" list of the GSA! Especially after reading the newspaper article I read about the GSA!!!! My problem is I have so many of them they stay silver dollar sized and there are so many I can't fish for anything else because they steal the bait and are normally too small to catch. In fact they are always too small to catch even when I catch one of them (just as likely to hook one in the belly or gills as the mouth). So I need to thin them out, which will be good for the remaining ones. If fact in a lot of reading about them if I had some decent sized ones I would like having a few. Another thing I have to say about them is when I am swimming and am standing still for a few seconds they try to bite my nipples off!! Sometimes they even jump out of the water to get to my nipples!!!! Not an endearing quality to say the least. But I forgive them for that because they know no better and it keeps my lazy fat ass moving doing laps because I know they will bite me if I stay still! Best regards to you and the GSA
I wish I had the tenacity of GSF!
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,055 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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OP
Moderator Lunker
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Posts: 16,055 Likes: 277 |
Bill, those nips also happen with bluegill. Bluegill are tough on moles but I haven't heard of the getting airborne.
I think your overabundance would be the same no matter what species you had.
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: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,615 Likes: 5
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,615 Likes: 5 |
Another thing I have to say about them is when I am swimming and am standing still for a few seconds they try to bite my nipples off!! Sometimes they even jump out of the water to get to my nipples!!!! Not an endearing quality to say the least. But I forgive them for that because they know no better and it keeps my lazy fat ass moving doing laps because I know they will bite me if I stay still! I see your problem now Bill, you have miss identified the fish that you have. You don't actually have any Green Sunfish. What you have in your pond is the very rare and deadly Purple Nurple Sunfish.You need to get one of these to swim in....
Last edited by jeffhasapond; 09/23/07 11:02 AM.
JHAP ~~~~~~~~~~ "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." ...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 165
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 165 |
Well Jeff it is heading in that direction. When I first built my pond I was a bachelor and since I pretty secluded I skinny dipped. Then the cc were getting pretty big I got insecure and wore a jock strap under my shorts and pulled my shorts off, swam in the jock, then when I got out pulled the wet jock off and put on the shorts. When I got married used the same routine. But then a relative of my wife had a seventeen year old daughter, that for reasons you don't even want to know, moved in and now I am a daddy again!!! and have to wear shorts in the water. I guess I could wear a t-shirt but damn it I like to feel the water on my body, not a soggy drag. It only happen once and the weather was hot and the GSF were very active. I was standing on my knees looking at something growing on my dam and got a worse than usual bite on my nipple several times, the left one. It had it red and knew he was making progress so stayed on the left one (it was already sore from the previous day) finally I said, well never mind, but stood up and moved out a little deeper where my nipples were about 4"'s out of the water and the little bugger jumped up and tried to get it. My response swim my lap to the other side of the pond. Instead of a t-shirt with its drag maybe I should just wear a bra........but never been the cross-dresser type! But at least I won't drown like your attire would result in. Would you be more understanding if I made a small donation to the GSA?
Last edited by Bill Webb; 09/23/07 03:18 PM.
I wish I had the tenacity of GSF!
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,975 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,975 Likes: 277 |
Bill: I never go swimming without a full spectrum of personal protective equipment.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,365
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,365 |
My experience with GSF is they have always been too small to be of any consequence. The largest one I have ever seen was around 6", and DIED's pictures of full grown GSF were astonishing.
I suppose they they were so small because of insufficient predators in those waters. I would like all the diversity possible, but since my pond is a bit small-ish, I will be cautious for now.
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