Also, in order to have any chance of determining the effects of winter pellet feeding, you need to select a group of bluegills, weigh them, place them into a cage, feed those fish throughout the winter, then weigh the very same fish again in the spring. Within every year class of bluegills there will exist individuals that exhibit both faster, and slower growth than the general population. How do you know that the bluegills you have caught recently weren't already in the higher percentile class before winter set in? In order to be conclusive, you have to judge the effects of winter feeding on the SAME group of fish, not select samples at random.
I kinda figured something like this would come up. I understand what you're trying to say and there may be some scientific merit to be had. So let me start from the beginning.
The fish in the first set of photos IS one of the smaller first year coppernose. Some of the ones I have caught are considerably larger. Over 9 inches Believe it or not.
I have the proof to back it up. So let us continue.
My coppernose were stocked on may 17, 2014. The majority of them were an inch to an inch and half long with lots of smaller ones than that and a few 2 inch fish.
My growing season for these fish was from may to late October when the water temps started to drop pretty good. Lets say 5 months. 1-2 inch fish can't really take pellets, so I didn't really start feeding until, I would say at least , July.
The growth rate I have personally witnessed from November until now, is nothing short of amazing. They said it couldn't happen. It did happen. I'm not trying to be a jerk and rub anyones nose in anything but I told y'all on the first topic where we had the big go round that I would post results, and that there would be no adverse effects and I nearly guaranteed that. I did everything but give a 100% guarantee.
I understand fully that different areas require different management. But here down south, Now I give you a 100% guarantee that feeding your fish high protein pellets through the winter months will absolutely NOT adversely affect your fish. On the other hand what it will do is grow your fish and that is also a 100% guarantee, and I stake my good name on it.
Absolutely, no ifs ands or buts about it.
I am so confident in this that I would advise the gentleman from Hallman Texas to absolutely feed his fish as much as they can take through the winter months, in east Texas.
The fine specimen posted below was caught at 5:05 pm central time Feb. 22, 2015 ( this afternoon) and was gently handled , measured and released quickly. This fish went from 2 inches maximum, to 9 and 1/8 inches, since May 17, 2014. The fish was measured while still hanging on the hook because I did not want to lay this beauty on the ground in the dirt and leaves and wanted it back in the water as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, I do not have a photo with the tape measure next to it, as this is hard to do by yourself with a fish hanging from a hook suspended in the air. The two I caught yesterday were larger than this.
The results speak for themselves. The photos confirm it.
Yeah I know. I have fairly large hands.
