I'm pretty sure this fish is the one Dr. Willis and I held for the Pond Boss article part I. It is one of 33 remaining fish from the first spawn. 30 males and 3 females. The other males are 8.75 inches or greater in size, but this one's the biggest I've seen. He hasn't started to form a hump yet, and I don't know if that's because he's immature or too young.

I thought it was really interesting that in the total absence of most other traits of maturity that the nape spots are so obvious. Perhaps that black spots are purely a trait of male vs. female as opposed to mature vs. immature.

I'd swear he was looking at me as my Dad held him.

Here's my Dad with the same fish.



Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.