Originally Posted By: sprkplug
I think that RES looks female, but curious to hear what others say.

CC, you asked about Theo's photo of the gillcracker, check out the "cheeks" on that fish... See the mottled pattern? Pure bluegills do not display that. The opercular is shaped a little differently than what I would expect to see on a male BG of that size, and the overall pattern of color, body-wise, appears to indicate another influence as well.

That's what I see anyway....


I am not doubting Theo nor your ID of that fish as a BRES - I'm not a lepomis expert like they are - but it fails to demonstrate the obvious characteristics of BRES from my fishery or the BRES I can recall seeing from your fishery also, Tony. Obviously I've not seen all your fish, however.

I see your point on the mottled pattern on the gill cover - but honestly I would have missed it and released as a nice pure BG without a second thought. When it comes to lepomis hybrids it appears there's a great deal of variability regarding the characteristics they possess - the BRES in my fisheries all exhibit some trace of color on the margin of the opercular tab - at least that's what I've been looking for - maybe I'm missing some much more subtle BRES specimens?

I'd have to guess that is not a F1 BRES - rather a BRES x BG F2 or BRES x BG x BG F3 - but I could be entirely wrong. What do lepomis experts think? I'm sure seeing majority BG genetics being expressed in this fish.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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