My take on the pumpkinseeds is they typically do not reach the maximum size of the bluegills and when they hybridize with the bluegills they can bring down the maximum size down of the bluegills. This is what a local biologist told me.
However, the pumpkinseeds do have shellcrusher teeth like the redears so they are more geared to eating snails. Bluegills do eat them too although they do not have the speciallized teeth.
Maybe both your ponds are better geared for pumpkinseeds as they do prefer cooler water, and as a taxidermist I have taken in some dandies from Canada. I think the present world record is now from upstate New York or at least it was.
As far as telling the hybrids apart, I would get my bluegills from a body of water that has no pumpkinseeds or other sunfish. I have several around me. If that is not possible only plant mature fish (can see colors more clearly, and if they have anything other than an all black tab on the opercle don't plant them. It there is a little white, silver, or red. red/orange showing on the end of the ear tab it's suspect. Also a bluegill will not have any vivid markings on the cheek as in a pumpkinseed or hybrid. Green sunfish will typically have some orange/yellow somewhere on their sides with some orange/yellow on the lower fin edges.
