Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain what is the differance?

Hybrid Bluegill and Straight Bluegill, what is the differance?

New tank, north texas, 2/3 acre water surface when full, 15 feet deep when full, this will be 1st stocking in attempt to establish food base. about 6 feet of water in tank now, with rain promissed this weekend. fish truck scheduled next saturday, it advertises straight and hybrid Bluegill for the same price.

Plan on buying 100 bluegill, 50 brim for the snails, at least 2 lbs of fat heads. money is no object ! - yea right

Long term goal for this tank is some pan fish for the table. bout neer talked myself out of bass, MAY consider a few whisker kitteys latter on. Lord willing this tank will more than double in size next year or late summer by damming up the gulley next to this one.

thanks virgil

Virgil :

Lots of difference. BG are well BG but HBG are a cross between a BG and a GSF. HBG have a generally defined use where their offspring are not needed to be a forage fish for predators (LMB, CC etc.). They reproduce much less than BG and as a general matter their offspring are less desirable with each generation. They have a faster initial growth rate and mouth but there is uncertainty if they keep growing faster. I think they do not and some research agrees. HBG are somewhere between 66 and 98 % males. See link below about their use:


http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1893.htm

Virgil, nice start. Standard bluegills are great for an ongoing forage base to feed predators. But, you are talking about getting a FEW catfish. A few cats will not control bluegills. They can and will overpopulate.

The "brim" you are talking about must be red ear sunfish to do the snail damage you desire. If you don't wind up with much vegetation, you shouldn't have a whole lot of snail or other parasite problems. I love redears. They are pretty and a great table fish. They spawn only once a year and shouldn't overpopulate. They don't eat fish pellets but find a lot of other groceries, even without snails.

If I were in your shoes, and I'm not, I would consider about 200 hybrid bluegills, fatheads, and about 50 cats. Set up a feeder and it should be a great pond. No matter what you do, you are betting on rain (so am I). If it doesn't work, due to rain, you don't have a big fish investment and you will have the feeder.

If LMB are out of the equation (as you referenced above), you may want to consider about 40-50 HSB. These bass are sterile, fight hard on a hook, are good for baby brim population control, are good on the table, and will "split some of the difference" with the CC. Cats are a good choice in a pond IF introduced in a limited supply. Be it BG or HBG you will get overpopulation eventually without the proper predator introduction. Mind you that if you were wanting a LMB pond (which you are not), I would say without a doubt to stay away from the HBG. But since you seem to be looking more for fun and a meal let me suggest the following:

200 HBG (standard cross of GSF and bluegill OR GG which is not the standard cross)
40 HSB
10-20 CC
several pounds of fatheads
a few thousand gambusia minnows.

With this combo in place most of your baby HBG will become forage allowing your original stock to thrive. HBG grow rapidly in the first few years. If you have caught most/all of the original stock plus a set of surviving offspring, you can always restock slightly larger HBG (4-6")a few years down the road. In a LMB pond this would be a suicidal mission, but an HSB pond should not present that problem due to the relatively small mouth size. The only concern here would be with the cats, but if you keep them fairly satiated with pellets they back off some from having to "get out of the recliner to chase down food".
Again this is only my opinion so do what feels right for you.

I agree with Dave 100%. HBG will quickly be trained (within a few weeks) to show up at the feeder at the programmed times. You are lucky in that the size of your pond will not destroy you should a decent weather pattern not bless you all real soon. Feeders are great, and you can always turn it off one night and hand feed at the same area/same time just for your own enjoyment.


Sidenote: Be sure to ask a lot of questions of your supplier. Just last week I took an order for some GG to be shipped to Texarkana, Ark. The customer told me that a particular fish farm in the area was also selling GG (but at a much higher price). I called the dealer from my blocked # cell phone to make the inquiry. I was told that although they did not have the patent on the name, it was indeed the same fish. I could only laugh out loud at this point, because this was the exact dealer who called us two years ago to report someone else who was falsely selling the GG brim. I guess some people believe in making a quick buck regardless of morals.
In summary of my little spill above, check supplier credentials, check fish upon delivery, and be sure you can check back in on your supplier for any questions post sale.
On the upside you will always have us at just a login away.

Good luck and happy fishing,

Deb

Thanks for the replies folks.

Got a lot to learn.

as of right now, I would not know if the driver of the truck is selling me what I am paying for. (bought Fords, and recieved Cheverolets)

Hummm, The wife and I sure do like catching those mean ole Hybred Stripped Bass.

Good rain this weekend.