Tossed in a minnow trap in shallow water over night and had two to three dozen intermediate size FHM along with a couple of SMB fingerlings. Good to know I still have FHM.
Watched a school of nervous FHM mid day today when the sun was direct over head in clear water. They were acting a little spooky when I noticed a few slightly larger fish in around them then noticed they were SMB fingerlings. The SMB were maybe 4" and not big enough to eat the FHM I saw but they were sure making the minnows nervous. Don't know if they were just herding the minnows around, picking off small ones that I could not see, or if they were just schooling with other fish but it was an observation I had not seen before.
The fingerling SMB are kind of funny to watch. I have lots of them. They often run in small groups of a pair to a half dozen. I'll throw my jig out in shallow water and watch them chase it right up to within 6" of the bank. If I let it set on the bottom then jiggle it or move it slightly they act like a bunch of kittens stalking a ball on a string. If I drag it through the water sometimes they will strike at it but their mouth is not big enough to get around the hook I was using. With a tiny hook I know I could catch one after another. I did actually catch one slightly over 4" and landed it to look at.
No luck catching any RES fingerlings with the cast net but I really have not tried at the correct time of day. Right before sunset in shallow water is best but I have tried it mid day. Have also not been able to catch any RES by hook and line after a few different days trying.
But I know the RES are there. Now that the summer water has cleared I can see a half dozen male RES on really large nests. The fish only look like 5 or 6" RES and the nests look huge for the fish size. I suspect the large nests were made by bigger RES males early during the first spawn. I'm guessing these guys are just maturing and getting big/old enough to nest. Every year I have seen late spawn RES relatively small males in shallow water.
Been tossing out some Optimal #2 starter around the edge of this pond along with some regular size feed too. Today I specifically did the starter separate so I could see if I could get any of the numerous SMB fingerlings to take it. I was able to witness a half dozen strikes by the fingerlings getting the small pellets. They do not go after it like FHM will but at least they are getting the idea.
I would encourage anyone to get a little bit of starter pellets and toss it in 6" to foot deep water around their ponds just to see what comes up to eat it. You can crush large pellets, but the small nice round starter pellets float for ages and they are just bite size for small fingerling fish.
I tried the same thing around my old pond because this year for the first time I am seeing LMB fingerlings in good numbers around it. Still none in the main pond but at least I am getting recruitment in my old pond. But the slightly larger LMB fingerlings just ignored the starter pellets. But the fingerling BG woofed it up.
Just some fun observing what is going on around my ponds.
