Excellent additional info, esshup.
In my limited experience, I think I have fished in farm ponds where the (non-bass) sunfish were overpopulated and stunted. In those situations, the average GSF we caught were typically larger than the average BG. Probably due to the mouth gape advantage of the GSF in an environment with limited natural forage (as was discussed above). I believe that biased sampling has strongly colored my personal perception of which sunfish is typically larger.
I then pulled some state records to get a sampling of "trophy" sizes.
-------------- KS -------------- OK
BG: -------- 2.37# -------- 2# 6 oz
HBG: ------ 2.65# -------- 2# 6 oz
GSF: ------- 2.36# ------- 2# 7 oz
The records are surprisingly close. The HBG is the biggest of the three in Kansas. The GSF is the biggest of the three in Oklahoma.
I wonder which gets up to "eating sized" the fastest? Based on the "non-experimental" anecdotal evidence I have read from Pond Boss members, I believe it is probably the HBG. That seems to match well the articles written by pond pros.
If anyone reading this has a deeper interest in HBG, I am attaching a link to an excellent thread by Bill Cody, started many years ago. It includes an excellent introduction by Bill.
It also includes identification photos and links to lots of other related BG threads. People have continued to update that thread over the years.
Excellent Hybrid Bluegill Thread
