Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Please Evaluate this !

In both ponds yesterday 8-19-06 I noticed these only around brush piles in deep water which come all the way to the surface. None around the shore or other brush piles in shallow water and none in the pond weed.

Any thoughts ( size , type , age and reason for location etc.) would be great. I intended to only take pics through the plastic bag. As you can see that did not work out as intended because on about the 3rd pic, the bag ( with a gallon of water and 10 fish) which I was holding up, broke and soaked me and every thing in the boat except the camera which I managed to hang on to.

What do you have stocked in that pond?

LMB , BG and RES .

I see a tall dark fish in your future.

I know very little about RES but they look an awful lot like BG to me.

Same here. If it was me I would rule out largemouth bass as they would already have a dark stripe down the side. Looks like late spawn bluegills to me. Anyone else?

ewest, Obviously they are either BG or RES. At that size it is hard to tell the difference between the two from the photo.

1. Lepomis in bucket
2. Lepomis in bag
3. Lepomis on hand
4. Lepomis on knee

I am pretty sure they are BG (more late spawners). What I don't understand is why they would only be out in deep water around brush piles running to the surface. None any other place I could find. They were in schools/groups.

One thing I have noticed is the CNBG seem to be spawning later than the BG. I wonder if that is a hot water adaptation. The ones I saw spawning in late July and again about 10 days ago were mostly CNBG. I could really see those copper bars stand out while on the bed. Those CNBG have been in the pond 15 mths and are probably 24 mths old.

Obviously. Look about 1" above the fry in the 3rd pic - ewest's "Monofilament Line" is thick, yet stretched straight, as if under a heavy strain.

99% chance CNBG (I swear I can see the bar on the nose in the pics taken after the bag broke), 1% chance your RES are trying to confuse us with late season nooky.

Why would they be where they are?
-Plankton more concentrated away from shore
-Predators (small YOY LMB & older BG YOY) more concentrated at shore
-Spawning beds used for this brood nearer the brushpiles than shore (sounds doubtful)
-???

10-28-06 update at this link.

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000394;p=1#000000

Last winter same subject.

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000290#000003