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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,730 Likes: 289
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,730 Likes: 289 |
I caught a nice size sunfish (I believe a bluegill) in my pond (no picture). It was very fat and had a swollen bright orange area on the front underside. Much more pronounced, brighter orange, and swollen compared to other fish that I have caught. Is this a sign of spawning? Would this be a male or female?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,642 Likes: 877
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Males have their colors get more pronounced when spawning. Females stay pretty blah looking.
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,800 Likes: 72
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
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they're getting bigger... also saw the first snake yesterday don't know what kind he was....
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 390
Hall of Fame
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Hall of Fame
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"Was"? Sounds like he is a "dead" snake! Never seen one that long and slender!
Nice LM!
Last edited by spinnerbait; 04/08/12 11:28 AM.
"I have not failed, I have only found 10,000 ways that won't work" Thomas Edison
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Joined: Jul 2009
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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I agree with Spinnerbait - nice LMB, but even nicer dead snake! I killed one this evening after cutting it when I apparently ran over it with my lawn tractor. I grabbed it and chucked it into the pond while it was still wiggling hoping to see a LMB eat it, but no such luck. Oh, well. At least it's a good snake now!
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,800 Likes: 72
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
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a buddy tells me that it was a rat snake and that we shouldn't have killed him because he is a "good snake"....oh well
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,186 Likes: 44
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,186 Likes: 44 |
It is a rat snake. They are good snakes. However, the snake I shot on thursday was not a rat snake, but it is now a good snake. Sorry, no pictures, the impact of the bullet tossed both halves into the pond and after a little bit of wiggling, it sank.
Brian
The one thing is the one thing A dry fly catches no fish Try not to be THAT 10%
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Joined: Feb 2011
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Joined: Feb 2011
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This one is first fish of 2012 for me. Not measured or weighed, but was about 14 inches and 1.5 lbs. Caught out of my own pond on 3/25 Fished about 1.5 hours on Sunday, 4/8 and caught my new personal best LMB. 19.5 inches and 4.43 lbs on the digital scale. We're still a bit cool here at 52 that day. Caught out of a local lake.
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Joined: Jan 2012
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"I have not failed, I have only found 10,000 ways that won't work" Thomas Edison
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 258
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2007
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Fish really turned on this morning after storms yesterday. Mrs. G's CNBG below. Colors more vivid and colorful than photo. Great fish George!
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,794 |
[quote=george1]Fish really turned on this morning after storms yesterday. Mrs. G's CNBG below. Colors more vivid and colorful than photo. Thanks Cason – CNBG lost his color before I could get camera ready. Photo below is example of pure Florida CNBG genetic confirmation that I select –copper nose, crème tip tail fins and fewer, broader vertical stripes. Really have some good ones this year in spite of record drought and heat wave last couple of summers – released several pushing 2lbs – hope to hit the magic number this year. Ours get broader and thicker when they hit 10-11 inches – Can’t wait to see some of your monster HSB….
N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds Original george #173 (22 June 2002)
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Joined: Mar 2004
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Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Mar 2004
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very nice cnbg george beautiful colors. Caught them with a pellet fly? Do you target them differently than the hybrids?
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Joined: Jun 2007
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Lunker
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Lunker
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James, as you know, fish are not that predictable - they have to tell you what to do .... my current generation of HSB won't take pellets at all even tho grown out on fead pellets at the fish farm. Gonna have to feed them spin flies or white clousers - tied up some glo minnow flies but didn't get to try them this week.
Water is turbid after all the rain.
N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds Original george #173 (22 June 2002)
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Joined: May 2007
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Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2007
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As luck would have it George, we set a new pond record today. I wish my friends had better FPPT to show just how impressive this fish was. It could be my proudest moment as a pond owner. This HSB broke the 10lb mark! Here is a 7lb from today.
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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We have caught 8-9 lb HSB. I hope to get to 10 lbs this year. We need to make it this year as that crop of HSB are nearing their life expectancy.
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Joined: Jun 2007
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Lunker
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As luck would have it George, we set a new pond record today. I wish my friends had better FPPT to show just how impressive this fish was. It could be my proudest moment as a pond owner. This HSB broke the 10lb mark! Cason, you just made my day - CONGRATULATIONS! We have caught 8-9 lb HSB. I hope to get to 10 lbs this year. We need to make it this year as that crop of HSB are nearing their life expectancy. Eric, I knew you could do it! You guys are setting the bar very high for us wannabes! CONGRATULATIONS!
N.E. Texas 2 acre and 1/4 acre ponds Original george #173 (22 June 2002)
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,797 Likes: 14
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Oh, one more thing if Bill or Travis, or someone else would like to lend their thoughts. At some point during the drive back home, the batteries died on my minnow bucket. Considering the conditions I was driving through, I didn't really care and didn't change them out. There was only one fish still breathing when I arrived home and it wasn't a FHM. Another angler added some minnows to my bucket as he was leaving the river so I'm now not sure if this fish came with the ones I bought or was one that he added. Anyway, am really curious what you think it is. EDIT - He has since died and now his fins are flared up. Thinking stickleback.
Last edited by Omaha; 04/15/12 12:25 PM. Reason: Add Another Photo
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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I believe you are right. They are common in FHM that you buy from the bait shop, at least around here.
The worst of the storms miss you?
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,797 Likes: 14
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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The worst of the storms miss you? We got a lot of rain and tornado warnings, but none of the real ugly stuff that hit south of us. I took I-29 back down yesterday and hit just loads of rain just south of Sioux City. My buddy went a different route, on the Nebraska side, and drove through water covered streets.
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,721
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Mar 2004
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Eric I think the life expectancy is greater than you think. What do you think the age limit is? The biggest problem we have with ours at this point is the tackle required to catch them has gone up in size and many of the fish now have hooks in their mouths from broken line.
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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James here is the data. https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/54/The usual life span of hybrid striped bass is 5 to 6 years-- more similar to white bass than to striped bass (30 to 40 years).
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,505
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Cason, Your fish rock, BTW how old are your hybrid striped bass and have you restocked any of them recently?
Ewest, up north here I would disagree with the typical lifespan of 5-6 years. We will see though, I stocked year old fish in 2007 and still have most of the originals with no signs of them nearing death.
I have electrofished many area fishing club lakes who have hybrid stripers well over 10 years old. Those fish typically grow alot slower than my pellet fed fish, but they are still nice 4-6 lb fish.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 133
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 133 |
Yes - Stickleback for sure
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Sorry just saw the fish Josh, it's a 9 spine stickleback. Very common fish to get mixed in with bait FHM. Cool little aquarium fish. They would be fine as forage fish in a pond IMO as well.
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