Get a dark colored plastic 5 gallon bucket (preferably black) and put one of your fish you catch in the bucket filled about 2/3 full of pond water. Wait 3-5 minutes and see how different the fish looks like from when you put it in. You can also try it in a white bucket that lets lots more light in. The fish will be a lot lighter and more washed out when coming out of the white bucket compared to the black one. From the black bucket the fish will be very dark colored and the vertical stripes very pronounced.
At least that has been my experience. The chromatophores in BG can change significantly in a relatively short time period.
In my sediment pond that gets high inflows of water during large rain events the water will become very turbid with sediment at times. If I catch a BG when the water is turbid they will be very washed out looking with few distinguishing colors or features. Right now the water is very clear and the fish will be colorful when I catch them.
Last edited by snrub; 10/27/18 10:03 PM.
