Pond Boss Forums PHOTO GALLERY Image Gallery Golden RedBreast Sunfish

These seem really cool, Has any one stocked or attempted to stock these? Seems they could be popular like the Golden trout?

What's their native habitat and where do they occur in the wild? Or is this a color phase like the Golden Trout?

I think it is a color morph like rosey red FHM and golden trout. I asked CJ8 about them as I saw he mentioned trying some in an older thread. I figured I would see if any one else has tried them or knew much about them. He is on vaction I think so he might not be checking the forum a lot.

I think he's in Florida now, but I don't know where.

Travis is at Stuart,Fl. which is a beautiful place. There is a hatchery in the south that sells this color RBS. I had lots of RBS in both of my ponds 10 years ago and caught 4 that were 14 oz. but the Bg pushed them out and we haven't seen one in several years. They do really well in the river behind my back pond. I think they fight harder then any panfish.

They hit hard too, I caught one on a baby rattle trap and thought it was a Bass. It would be a novelty I guess to have some in a pond, Kind of like the koi I have.. I might end up trying Golden RBS one day?

Stuart is about 4 hours south of me right down I95

Bobby,do you have cichlids up your way? We have plenty of them at Port Charlotte but no oscars. They are a fun fish to catch, maybe more fight per oz. then any fish I have caught.

We get a tad cold, I had some in the pond including oscars . they Lasted two winters. Third winter was coldest on record and even killed snook/cichlids etc far south of me. I have repositioned the arteasian well outlet into a corner of the pond instead of the middle in an attempt to creat a warm pocket they can find in the event we get another super cold one like that record a few years back.

The Blue tilapia do fine though, they must be a little more cold tolerant than the cichilds?

It killed over 90 percent of the snook down our way. Season is still closed on them. That was 3 years ago,had 9 days in a row in the low twenties. i didn't realize snook was not native to Fl. till then. I have caught them to 10 lbs. off our boat dock.

YEA, west coast Snook got hammered, East coast snook faired much better. For some reason the water stated a tad warmer or had more warm water pockets or holes.

Yes, I believe they are a color morph similar to rosey reds or golden rainbows. Normal RBS and of course this color morph seem to do best in rivers. However, they can adapt to pond life. They don't compete well in a BG/LMB pond. Sort of how GSF get run out of a BG/LMB pond. However, if stocked they will maintain numbers and under the right conditions I have seen them remain reasonably common in typical LMB/BG ponds via natural reproduction. They seem to prefer sandy with some gravel substrates for spawning. If the pond doesn't have this they don't do so well. If the pond is fed by a small feeder creek, they will utilize that habitat as well.


RBS are an excellent alternative to BG in ponds that are geared towards SMB, WE or other "cool" water species. They are not as prolific, are a bit more fusiform making them easier to prey on by the smaller mouthed predators and as has been stated they are excellent fighters. Their only downside is they don't get much bigger than 10" and a pound.

I could see the color morph being popular as a bonus fish. I am surprised they are not stocked more often.

I think they sound like a great combo with smb/hsb/?res if I pellet feed as well, and make sure I have a good forage base of 2-3 different types of minnows

Sounds like you have an aggressive fish, which would be great for kids etc, without the concern ( or decreased ) of overpopulation with bg

Ok troublemakers, now who has these available for stocking?

And please poke holes in my ideas above?

Some of the 'necks around here say they catch "red bellies" in the river
Same fish?

Gallop ,
I think They are the same as Red Bellies, The farm that has the golden RBS are not far up in Georgia if you wanted to consider buying some. I think THey have regular colored ones also. I know nothing about the fish farm other than whats on the web site.

DO you have SMB in your pond in Gainsville?

I cought this RBS in a small pond last weekend.
[img]http://forums.pondboss.com/gallery/49/full/4803.jpg[/img]

My pond is in the final phases of planning/ permitting. It is not going to be large, ~1/3 acre. Although that is much larger than my 0 acre pond I have now!

I want to do something different with the pond and have really been inspired by what you ( Rice) have done with your pond.

I want to try smb, I feel like if they can survive in Texas, they can sure survive in Gainesville if I give them. Good water quality, aeration etc.. Same goes for hsb

I can only assume that rbs would interbreed with res, but may have to ask an expert on that one

Could you pm me the name of that Georgia fish farm?