Since I doubt that I'll ever catch that specific fish, everything is speculation on my part. I'm really going by the pics I saw of Georges fish that went to Overton and then to Al. And, I caught 4 or 5 other very large, 1+ pound, yellowish, fish that had never been in my pond prior to Al seeding my pond with bigger fish to jump start after the drought ended. I didn't look them over but, as usual, immediately returned them to the water.

Other than the physical characteristic noted by Bill and Tony, I'm realizing that the smaller fish, 5 to 8 inch, I caught had no yellowish coloration. That may speak to the lesser spawning of something other than BG. I mentioned a huge, probably 12+ inch, GSF that I caught last year. Other than the huge mouth and green spots by the mouth, it looked like a BG and had no yellow coloration. So, I have to believe that these fish came from Al.

Note: I have never even considered the fin count because I haven't purposely stocked a HBG in the last 20 years.

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