Originally posted by dave in el dorado ca:
catmandoo...a great question with some excellent follow up stories. i dont see any dark tipped scales or lavendar coloration, what else did you use to determine he was male (earflap?)?
DIED,
The picture may not show it, but I've found that the mature males in my pond are much darker than the females, with very dark orange breasts. The females are much lighter in color, with very yellow breasts. I've also found that there is great color variation over very short periods of time after they are caught. The lavender color you mention seems to drop away fairly quickly after catching them. Sometimes they turn almost pink.
I can also be fairly certain this was a guy, as he had milt in him. None of my BG seem to be nesting right now, though.
I keep the keepers in a basket under my dock when I'm fishing. I find it surprising how much they change in color between the time they are caught, and when I take them up to the house for cleaning. I believe there was a recent thread about color changes.
It's worth trying the BGBLT -- just make sure you take your cholesterol pills!
Good fishn'
Ken
