Biggest one so far this year. Pound and a half, eleven inches. All three photos are the same fish.

Nice!

I bet on ultralight that is a fun land! Beautiful specimen.

I just have a hard time comprehending a fish like that!!!

You say biggest this year??? You have caught bigger??? What's your record?

Is that a fish or a tank?

Great job sprkplug. You are an inspiration to the rest of us with some hybrids!

I can't even begin to comprehend how you get a bluegill like that LOL.

Thanks guys, I was happy to see this fish. The current pond record stands at 1 lb, 10ozs. I want to believe there are larger fish in there, but who knows?

Looks like you blew it up with an air pump. Insanely big!

Looks like a fresh water puffer.

Very impressive Tony! That second pic really shows off the mass of that HBG. He had obviously been hanging around for second's at mealtime.

Thanks Al. I'm a long way from 2 lbs though...

Amazing T - that is a brute! GSF genetics are faint on that fish - what do you guess, how many generations of pure BG breeding after initial hybridization? Is that a F2 or F3 fish?

You get a Bluegill like that by hybridizing it with a Green Sunfish. Yes, that is a Hybrid Bluegill, the same ones recommended as a solid companion lepomis species choice for SMB fishery. HBG still get a negative rap on the forum, and I used to be part of that camp. On a lighter note, how can one dislike something one cannot identify? Not picking on anyone here, just trying to underscore my original advice which was to suspend judgment until one researches/learns more. Requires a willingness to shift paradigms which I understand is sometimes hard to do - but learning is why we're here after all.

Tony wrote some great articles for Pond Boss Magazine in 2014 I recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about HBG, their role in a fishery, and management techniques. Contact PB HQ and request the back issues, well worth the investment.

Thanks Tony for your efforts to educate us over the past few years - that right there is a remarkable fish and you're doing amazing things and creating new fishery management science with your HBG experiments.

Spark nice fish man!! Can you confirm for me that this is a hybrid? I believe it is. I caught this fish last year I do have some GSF and I think this fish was made on accident! Not complaining this fish fought man big time!!

Yep, that's a hybrid of a BG and GSF. They are battlers on light tackle, will put a similar sized northern strain right back on the trailer.

TJ, I'm ashamed to have to admit that I don't know. There have been a total of 4 stockings of HBG since the program began in 2009. I borrowed the stuff to be able to tag the fish in the first two stockings, then fin clipped the other two as a means to identify year. I'm sure there was no tag, but I didn't notice a clipped fin, either. I feel there must have been though, as there was little chance of backcrossing with a BG. Although not impossible of course.

Just one time, I would like to get over the excitement of the catch and actually do what I'm supposed to do, such as taking a scale sample, and identifying the year class of fish. One time.

The way it stands, I would classify this fish as a BG dominant HBG..I think it's an F1, but really can't say for sure.

However, I do have about a dozen <1.5" F(X) HBG in a cage, and they are finally learning to eat bloodworms.. Took weeks to capture that many, as I started last fall. Very curious to see how they perform.

Can I get an AMEN to that!?! Boy ain't that the truth.


That fish simply put....IMPRESSIVE.

As am I, but that's another story for another thread. My second electroshocking was quite eye opening in a semi-good, but unexpected way. I've got to regroup, and refocus.

But now, back to your HBG. He's just a brute.

Whatever Tony is doing, it almost seems like it could be something illicit or illegal, to grow fish like those.

Those are some real serious specimans!

I'm sure glad that Tony found us several years ago. I've learned a lot from him here on the forum and through Pond Boss Magazine, but I still can't grow fish like he does.

Thanks Tony.

Ken -- they guy with little fish!

Truly inspiring fish. I've always noted how dark your HBG are compared to mine. Mine have bright yellow bellies, and their tails are lined yellow as well. I began harvesting this year and am quite concerned as 70% of what I've cleaned have been female. So far though, I've kept less than half of what I've caught, which is good. Still, I think I may be a year late on adding HSB. However, I am pleased w/the SMB and WE growth and hope they can take care of this year's hatch.

Good idea or bad idea? I have one HBG female in a pond of BG and PS. Is it possible that I might introduce some of the desireable traits of the HBG to my pond BG and PS genetics over time?

I kind of doubt it, Bill. I'm thinking the influence of one HBG in a pond filled with BG and PS would be miniscule, and temporary.

Kinda thought you would say that Sparkie.....I already have the potential of "mutt" pond. Wonder what would happen if I throw in one GSF...I already have one warmouth in there.

Thanks again everyone. But to be honest, any credit due for these fish belongs to the members of this forum, for the knowledge and advice they have freely shared over the years. Our HBG endeavor wouldn't be where it is today without the efforts of many of those folks.

My adventure with growing bluegills started with a three part article in PondBoss magazine, co-authored by Bill Cody, Cecil Baird, and Bruce Condello. I wasn't familiar with PB when the articles were published, but I caught wind that there were back issues available and ordered them immediately. That was quite a few years ago, and I still remember how I felt when I finished reading them for the first time. I knew this was it, just like I knew these guys had it figured out....well before I came along.

Better watch out Bill ole Stickem (Charlie) loves warmouth

Heck Pat, Charlie just likes to catch and eat fish! I hear he is making fish jerky!

...wish I could find some fingerling warmouth...oh well, I'll come across some sooner or later.

Warmouth fingerlings can be found for sale at these two hatcheries:

http://www.southlandfisheries.com/html/warmouth.html

http://www.aquaculturestore.com/Warmouth.html

CJBS2003,
Thank you, for the information....now, lemme see if I can get them to SE Texas still alive...
Charlie

Gage, with an eleven incher caught on Mothers Day. Body dynamics not quite as good on this one.

A bit of jealousy talking?


I'm jealous!!!!!!

Caught this guy today, an even nine inches and already over a pound. When I run the numbers, using a Wr chart for native bluegills, I get a relative weight of 174%. A new record for me.

Nice fish Sparkie! I have never caught a 1 pound BG in a life of fishing. You are making it look routine!

Edit: I am curious. Do you have a harvest plan that you follow?

No Bill, I really don't. Over the past six years, I've probably eaten 7-8 fish out of this pond. I struggle with the eventuality of harvest, where these fish are concerned.

Glad to hear you say that. Nice to know I am not the only one that would really struggle sticking a fillet knife into one of those beauties. I wonder how big they will be next summer and looking forward to the pics!

Anyone who disses HBG needs to take a gander at this. Well done, T - that is one of the best conditioned sunfish I've seen to date, from anywhere.

Keep them coming Tony. Another outstanding HBG.

Very nice!

Good gracious..I'm not sure if those pic's motivate me do to better or just bow my head and throw in the towel...

Great Fish!

Even by Texas standards that's a monster! Good job

Gorgeous coloration/markings on that fish. I'm color blind, but it appears the fins are edged with a yellow hue. Very nice.

Tell me about it, I kinda felt the same way. Then again, what do you expect from Maple Syrup raised HBG? Mutant fish - that's what.

AWWWWE not I see it! Great call TJ. It's the syrup. Wild guess here, Spark is caramelizing his fish pellets with that homemade syrup of his and boosting the calorie intake per pellet consumed.

...don't forget about the whispered incantations and wafting incense over the food before it hits the water. These should be called, Hybrid Occult Gills [HOG].

Good grief; 174% Not sure I've ever seen that.

Performed while completely nude....very important.

Feeding HBG is not for the faint of heart.

WOW! That fish needs gastric bypass!!! Amazing.

One from this evening. 9.5" and a tick over 19 ozs. Using the Wr chart intended for BG, gives me a figure of 165% I've measured several fish over 160%, a few over 165, and one over 170% so far this season. Crazy.

It looks as if its skin is about to rip its so fat....

You need to get one of those kasco water circulators and make those things excercise a little.

Sparkie I think we may need a new Rw chart just for your guys! Maybe take the BG chart and multiply the weights by 2!

I do think the Wr charts intended for BG are a poor fit for HBG. These fish can grow very heavy, very quickly. And I feel that skews the results unfairly when using info that was intended for native bluegills. But as of right now, that's the best we have to work with.

I need a correction factor when using BG math on HBG.

wish you was close to me i know where plenty are

The charts confuse me anyway. Folks are always comparing their fed fish to the charts. Are the charts based on non-fed fish or fed fish?

Bill, I don't think it's a case of fed vs. non-fed, as much as it's one more tool to help evaluate the condition of your fish, irregardless of what they have, or haven't been eating.

I'm not aware of any Wr charts that are intended for use solely on either fed, or non fed fish, but that doesn't mean one isn't out there somewhere. I tend to see it as an observed, averaged ratio of weight to length, including fish of many different management scenarios and locations.

those are amazing

I think you are correct. Wr charts are a good indicator of how your fish are doing. FWIW IIRC a fairly recent issue of PBM stated that Wr charts are based on unfed wild fish.