Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations A couple CNBG questions

Agreed ewest. I'm simply very curious as to the numbers of bonafide two pound bluegills the members here have been able to produce. We read a lot about the virtues of CNBG, as well selective breeding programs of both northern and CNBG. And I am a huge fan of the body dynamics displayed by these carefully manipulated fish. However, and I mean no disrespect whatsoever, shouldn't we be seeing some number of two pound bluegills by now?

I've been here on the forum for 8 years, and have watched these programs with intense interest. And while it's true that there have been exceptional fish, I haven't noticed anything that suggests a clear indication of a advanced, ultimate growth potential? Maybe I've missed something, I just don't know.

Certainly we've seen some outstanding bluegills, many that appear to show exceptional promise due to those incredible body dynamics mentioned earlier. I suppose I was just expecting something more dramatic?

RC stocked his CNBG six years ago, and ewest points out that his fish should be at peak. Which to me, hints at a probable decline from this point further, at least for the population as a whole. I still maintain there will always be individuals within a dynamic that will show superior qualities, including populations in the wild. But in a selective breeding program shouldn't those qualities be magnified and expanded upon to yield numbers of superior fish?

And yes, we all have setbacks. I know I certainly have. There will be droughts and O2 crashes that cause us to begin anew. But still, shouldn't those 2 lb bluegills be showing up in members' ponds by now, somewhere, in number?

Is it possible that those incredible body dynamics that we all drool over, are merely a glimpse into a remotely possible, preferable outcome, rather than a true indication of what will come to pass, given optimum conditions? After all, two pound bluegills turn up in public bodies of water occasionally, without benefit of feeding programs and enhanced breeding programs. We all know this. But isn't the goal of stocking a superior strain of fish to have a quantifiable number of larger individuals develop, rather than one here and there?

To me this just illustrates how difficult it really is for a BG to reach two pounds, especially in quantity. Maybe those improved body dynamics achieved early on, come at a tradeoff in the form of shortened lifespans which still won't allow for many fish to hit two pounds? It's generally accepted that northern fish grow slower, but live longer than their southern counterparts. Is that what's missing in the "Giant Bluegill Formula"....longer lifespans?