From just the pictures the fish from the trapping are hybrids of some sort. And yes, they are stunted (food shortage) due to the size of eye in relation to the length of the fish. It is possible that the some or part of the stocking from the truck were not pure F1 first generation bluegill. Some less reputable hatcheries will make their own HBG and then supposedly high quality hybrid bluegill start to get diluted by using parents that are not completely pure strain BG or GSF. Best HBG are produced using male BG and female GSF. Other crosses of female BG and male GSF or using other hybrids (unpure or diluted parental stock) as parents usually result in substandard hybrids. Genetic make-up of parent species is very important in producing quality HBG. These diluted strains of hybrids will have more females per every 100 fish compared to proper high quality F1 hybrids. Diluted strains of hybrids may also lack good hybrid vigor. We as consumers rarely know what the quality is of the HBG. Yes the fingerlings are HBG, but at what quality, what type and purity of parents were used, how fish "clean" was the brood pond?????? Many variables can contribute to the quality of HBG fingerlings. All that to say this: Maybe your original stocker hybrid bluegill were not the best quality, thus your over population problems?
Last edited by Bill Cody; 04/26/13 09:16 PM.
