Guys,
Not redears of course but I bring in YOY bluegill and yellow perch every winter and they are reared in 78 F. water. The following winters they are in the pond. I'm thinking if they have time to adapt over the summer and fall, they are O.K. It doesn't seem to be a problem with them.
Of course you're right you are at the northern end of a redears range as am I. The best survival we have here is in the deep natural lakes that have more stable temps.
You may also want to consider most redears that are planted in ponds are from Arkansas fish wholesalers as are most bluegills. Could it be they are not adapted to our winters? A couple of winters ago we had bluegills in fish farm ponds dying in the winter. It was a very severe long winter with 24 days below zero. I know one fish farmer that said he had never lost bluegills like that and he did everything right.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 02/26/16 10:46 AM.
