About 2 years ago I caught a couple of real nice RES in my pond. I would say they were pushing 9 to 10 inches. I have caught some other small ones since then but have not seen those big ones again! Ya'll think there still in there? I have not seem them floating anywhere. I bet they are hugh at this point if they are in there! Other than a worm any other tips on what I could try to catch a large RES on? Anything else that they really like? Maybe a pink minnow? Maybe a night crawler instead of them small red worms? Not sure what to try?
RC
Here is one of them
Last edited by RC51; 02/20/1404:26 PM.
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
From my experience redears tend to be bottom oriented more than bluegills and live bait like redworms works the best for me. You will rarely catch them as easily as bluegills.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
Snails work pretty decent for me. The ones about the size of a nickel work good to catch both CC & RES. I have done it 2 ways. Shell on hooking thru the shell. I have also just cracked snails open to do it shell off & seemed to catch more CC that way and RES.
I do well on the color red for RES. I think it's strictly in my head, though.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
I stocked RES in my new pond 7 years ago as fingerlings. I noticed that there were thousands of tiny snails on my rip rap lining the dam at the time. Two years later it was common for me to catch 2+ lbs. RES resembling small footballs. The very next year large RES were rare to catch and the snails were sparse. I haven't seen a large RES in almost four years now. The snails are now pretty much wiped out. I bet it's not a coincidence. Additionally, many of those large RES had wounds from GBH attacks. Slow grazing habits along with proximity to shoreline probably made them easy targets.
2008, 2011 & 2012 conference attendee. Striving to be the person that my dog already thinks I am.
I stocked RES in my new pond 7 years ago as fingerlings. I noticed that there were thousands of tiny snails on my rip rap lining the dam at the time. Two years later it was common for me to catch 2+ lbs. RES resembling small footballs. The very next year large RES were rare to catch and the snails were sparse. I haven't seen a large RES in almost four years now. The snails are now pretty much wiped out. I bet it's not a coincidence. Additionally, many of those large RES had wounds from GBH attacks. Slow grazing habits along with proximity to shoreline probably made them easy targets.
That's good to know Blaine. I will probably get several hundred from a supplier this year and feed train them in one of my RAS tanks. Then when I can sort the males from the females I will plant the males in the trophy pond and sell the females.
I have a lot of ramshorn snails in my ponds. And I believe it has caused issues with parasites on my bluegills. Although I have figured out how to keep the herons out, I've read in literature it still takes a few years to break the parasite cycle.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 02/24/1401:01 PM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
I stocked RES in my new pond 7 years ago as fingerlings. I noticed that there were thousands of tiny snails on my rip rap lining the dam at the time. Two years later it was common for me to catch 2+ lbs. RES resembling small footballs. The very next year large RES were rare to catch and the snails were sparse. I haven't seen a large RES in almost four years now. The snails are now pretty much wiped out. I bet it's not a coincidence. Additionally, many of those large RES had wounds from GBH attacks. Slow grazing habits along with proximity to shoreline probably made them easy targets.
I like you have rip rap around the pond with thousands of snails (pond stocked 2013). I hope I can grow some 2# RES. I would be thrilled.
Just curious Cecil, how you are going to sex RES outside of the spawn?
I am still trying to determine the sex the 5 RES I have in my aquarium. Based on the red/orange margins on the ear tab I think I have four males and one female. Based on the light creamy colored sides vs. much darker sides I think I have one male and four females.
My best guess is that I have one dominant male RES, three submissive males, and one female. Coloration wise the three submissive males look female with the exception of the larger red margin on the ear tab. The dominant male has both the darker sides and larger red margin on the ear tab.
Just curious Cecil, how you are going to sex RES outside of the spawn?
I am still trying to determine the sex the 5 RES I have in my aquarium. Based on the red/orange margins on the ear tab I think I have four males and one female. Based on the light creamy colored sides vs. much darker sides I think I have one male and four females.
My best guess is that I have one dominant male RES, three submissive males, and one female. Coloration wise the three submissive males look female with the exception of the larger red margin on the ear tab. The dominant male has both the darker sides and larger red margin on the ear tab.
I was hoping at some point the adult ear tab would be manifested as in deep red for the males and a lighter orange more subdued for the females, but that may be wishful thinking.
Worst case scenario I'll keep them longer in the tank until they are 7 to 9 inches and perhaps I can tell then? Or they will have to go into a cage the following spring to get the right photoperiod and temps to get them to dimorphisize?
OTH hand I could manipulate photoperiod and water temps in the tank. I have dimmer switch in the fish room I can not only use to turn off lights at selected times but I can increase the intensity of the light.
If they have to go in a cage I will see if Scott will put the in his pond to avoid risking females escaping in my male only bluegill pond. I can give him some or all the females to sweeten the deal.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 02/24/1410:14 PM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
Cecil, as you know, I have plenty of cages, and I'm going to get some of those feeders like TJ was looking at. However many you want to store here is fine with me. With the feeders I don't have to be home to feed the fish in the cages. Much easier that way with my schedule!
Sounds good. Would tou have an extra large mesh 4 X 4 cage I can borrow so I can spawn my perch next month or in April? I probably should have held onto one but it looks so nice now without all those cages in the back of the property!
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 02/24/1410:16 PM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
Cecil, I have the cage you gave me last yr and you're welcome to it. Problem is , with the cold winter ya been havin I doubt I'd be home in time to bring it to ya. If you want it, I could have my son run it over to you before long. Let me know.
Do nature a favor, spay/neuter your pets and any weird friends or relatives.
We used to have a city lake we could fish that was full of RES. The bait of choice there were small crawfish (1-2 inch). This was a little trick an older gentleman had been using for years at this lake and let us in on it.
I only made it one time with my dad and it was some of the best fishing I had.
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