lmoore good post ! Here it is from the FS noted above who IMO is the HBG expert.


Evaluation of Male Bluegill X Female Green Sunfish Hybrids for

Stocking Mississippi Farm Ponds

MARTIN W. BRUNSON and H. RANDALL ROBINETTE

NorthA mericanJ ournalo f FisherieMs anagemen6t: 156-167, 1986

� Copyrighbt y the AmericanF isheriesS ociety1 986


" However, perhaps more important
to the angler is the presumed high catchability of

hybrid sunfish. This vulnerability to hook-and-line

capture has been alluded to by many authors

but relatively few experimental data exist to substantiate

such statements. Childers (1967) cited

one instance where a population of more than

10,000 BG x GS hybrids was decimated by anglers

during the first week of fishing"



"The total catch of

146 hybrids during the 2-h period was 21% of the

population. Catch per effort at Britt Pond was 22.4

fish/angler-hour, and the total catch of 403 fish

was 66% of the population. These high catch rates,

especially at Britt Pond, once again confirm the

aggressiveness and vulnerability of the BG x GS

hybrid, and point to the importance of strict control

of harvest in hybrid ponds. Especially significant

is the effect that poachers can have on a

hybrid population. A few hours of unauthorized

fishing could have a drastic effect on the fish population."



"The pond owner must be aware of the pros and

the cons of hybrid stocking. Hybrids should not

be stocked with other sunfish species. Management

must be intensive and should include catch

restrictions, record keeping, and subsequent restocking.

Hybrid sunfish ponds are primarily a

"trophy bream" situation and largemouth bass

growth may be less than optimum unless a supplemental

forage is made available. Security of the

pond from poaching is imperative. However, the

advantage of producing large easily caught sunfish

will, for many pond owners, outweigh the inconvenience

and expense of restocking, harvest regulations,

and pond security--especially for those

with commercially oriented ponds. The BG x GS

hybrid, when properly stocked into clean ponds

and managed correctly, provides an attractive alternative

to the bluegill for many pond situations

in Mississippi and probably in other southeastern

states as well."