My son caught this fish yesterday. it's the first fish we have caught since the cormorants wiped out all of our bluegills after stocking last year. My thoughts are that it's a green ear sunfish which is something we didn't stock. We do have 7 very small ponds up stream of us and we did inherit a bunch of mosquito fish from them. My thoughts were that we were only getting mosquito fish but unfortunately after our last big rain I noticed a bunch of baby bluegill had gotten trapped and died while trying to flow into our pond. So, we definitely are subject to whatever fish are upstream of us. First question is what do you all think this is? Second is, if it is a green ear sunfish, are there any ways to manage for them?
They're really easy to catch in minnow traps. I catch them all the time, clip a side fin off, and hand feed them to largemouth bass in the shallows. I toss them on the bass' heads and they crush them. In the case, that one escapes the clipped fin ensures it doesn't escape for long!
Get a minnow trap(the funnel kind) and put some feed in it. Leave it overnight. Bingo!
I agree with ML10. Hopefully, you can either eliminate them with the traps (if you only have a few), or sample them accurately if it turns out you have a lot.
If you don't have fish food, I catch them in the traps by putting a little dry cat food in a mesh bag inside the trap.
Some years back (17), I had only yellow perch YP, largemouth bass LMB, and 2 grass carp TGP, in our pond. No sunfish of any sort, although the gal that sold us the property said that there were bluegill BG and crappie BCP in there, too. As I understood that sunfish are great fodder for LMB and also desireable for panfishing, I bucket stocked a handful of GSF and BG. These all fizzled out. I had no commercial source for the sunfish.
Several years later I found a pond loaded with "bluegills". I was doubtful, and sure enough, my fishing that pond got me 2 dozen more GSF for my water. The next year a source of mature BG appeared, so I bought 2 dozen 7'' fish from him. Roll forward all these years, and you'll see and catch all sizes of HBG, BG, and GSF. Pond record of GSF equals Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported state record. BG to 10.5", HBG to 10" are there for the taking. I ate a 19" LMB last week poached in butter ala Hank Shaw's suggestion.
There is no evidence in my pond that BG are out competing GSF, nor the other way around. The HBG are really agressive biters and a remarkable bonus fish. I thoroughly enjoy the variety and quality of my fishing.
All this to say I'm not disputing in any way the observations, wisdom, and recommendations of our incredible experts on this forum. All I'm saying is that in my cool water, 1/4 acre, irrigation water fed pond at 6540' above sea level, 3 types of sunfish get along fine. The few smallmouth bass present don't seem to reproduce. I have a firm grip on the handle of the LMB slaying operation. The GSF have likely decimated my YP as I only see 8" to 12" individuals anymore. My 5 TGC are lazy suckers, 36" to 48" toads that don't do their jobs eating the over abundant elodea, and the one lonely 12" bright orange goldfish has successfully eluded the great blue heron GBH attackers for many years.
All of this may not be reproduceable anywhere else.
both of these fish have that electric green around their mouths on their head. None of the other fish had that. Their bodies also seem a bit more elongated than all the others and their mouths were slightly larger (mostly noticeable when removing the jig). How often do these guys hybridize with other bluegill and will they do that if just tossed into a pond with other bluegill?
Lots of greensunfish genetics in those two specimens due to what you say above: a.bodies also seem a bit more elongated, b. their mouths were slightly larger. You ask - "How often do these guys hybridize with other bluegill?" I depends on numerous variables, but it does happen probably more often than one thinks.
"and will they do that if just tossed into a pond with other bluegill?" yes - they will do that probably at least one nest a year - depending. Survival success of fry is also a "crap shoot"..
4Corners, that is a great description of the population in your pond! Really impressed that you are doing that with only a 1/4 acre.
Don't you get some extra "flow through" with your irrigation water set up? If so, do you think that is a contributing factor to your good pond productivity?
P.S. Do you have any means to remove 1-2 TGC? That might make a little extra room for some other fish biomass, rather than those lazy toads.
Well, we pulled one more out a little over a week ago, and since then all we have caught are bluegills. For what it's worth, the kids seem to enjoy fishing a little more knowing that if they get a green sunfish they can keep it. We'll just have to monitor and see what happens. Right now, I'm anxiously waiting for the bass to be able to hit the light tackle.
