Originally Posted By: snrub
Originally Posted By: poppy65
Originally Posted By: snrub
Out of the 1500 BG stocked I have caught around 50 hybrids that slipped in with the BG.

I have seen no ill effects and I enjoy catching them. I would not worry about it.

If they cross back with a few BG likely would have hybrids with lessening GSF characteristics.


That doesn't seem to be working out for me. I had a few, how many I don't know, got in with some bluegill. They grew great and were fun to catch but they crossed with bluegill like crazy. I've been running 2 minnow traps daily and if I catch 30 small fish, 20 of them have have strong GSF characteristics. I've been culling them and removing every one I catch while fishing also. The larger ones go to the table and those too small to eat get tossed. There's nothing wrong with the crosses but I just prefer straight bluegill. I know I'm fighting a losing battle but I guess it makes me feel better to try.


Would it be possible some wild GSF got into your pond somehow? Sure seems like a lot of people have trouble with that happening. If one or two or a few pure GSF got in and crossed with your hybrids I could sure see the GSF characteristics come out. And I don't know enough about the F2's to know, so they may show more GSF for all I know. I was just assuming that a hybrid crossed with a BG would tend more towards BG, but that was just what seemed logical to me.


I'm not sure which genes tend to be dominant. I don't see how and GSF could get into the pond. No ponds or streams close and the pond gets no runoff to speak of and hasn't overflowed the spillway since it was cleaned out. The 2-3 inch fish seem to run the gamut. Some are all bluegill, some look a bit more like bluegill with a bit of GSF indicators, and most look like small HBG. However, the 1 and 2 year old ones take on the longer and less height of GSF. I see some big bluegill somewhere around a pound when I feed but rarely catch any. The HBG and their offspring, whatever they are, are very aggressive and generally take the bait first. I am removing as many with HBG characteristics as I can and replace them with pure bluegill.