Making my daily trip around the pond, found 90% open water Thursday afternoon after some warm temps. I had about 30 minutes so I decided to grab the ultra light, mainly just to cast a line, because I could .

First cast in that cold, cold water, off the dock just out in the open, to my surprise caught a nice BG, third cast caught this one:



I don't know if she would be gravid yet but I was surprised at how plump she was, and again very pleased at the growth of my BG, but a long ways to go to reach the size of what so many of you have posted!

For me, there's just something about that first catch of the year

Keith,

That sure looks like a male to me judging by it's long ear tab and body shape. Don't be fooled by the lack of coloration this time of year. The bluegills in my all male pond this time of year look just as pale.

What do you others think? Don't be shy. I could be wrong.

I was also thinking male. Great fish either way!

Thanks, Cecil I guess I was looking more for the scale tipping than the ear tab. And good to know about the lack of color, the other one I caught was nearly white! Thought maybe I had an albino BG .

Still learning!

PS - Thanks Sprk!

Wow you guys are sooooo lucky. I am looking at two 8 foot holes in the ice from my aerator stations.

Dono, you're correct that we are indeed lucky. It has been a very mild winter down here. Open water fishin in Nebraska in Feb is quite the blessing.
Keith that IS a very nice fish. Evidently ya been doing lots of correct things. Keep up the good work and keep us updated. Bet ya can't wait to see a bunch of workin beds.

Thanks, Bob-O!

Unfortunately due to my (lack of) water clarity I haven't seen a bed in 3 years.

I really miss that!

For sure!

I'm amazed at how these fella's can survive the dreaded GBH attack!

That could also be a mink, otter, or snapper couldn't it?

Or Condellows RE

My vote is GBH.

Not over the winter, but the rest of the year there's a GBH out there every day. I chase him off in the morning but he comes right back and is there again when I get home from work. I'm going to run some string this year to see if it helps, but with the make-up of my pond, it won't be an easy task.

With the "V" shape wound, I could see a snapper doing that but I've seen too many LMB with stab wounds and the same type on that BG. But that IS the first BG I've seen hit. But I suppose it will happen more as they get bigger.

Nice fish above!

One of my HBG's had most of it's tail bitten off. No predators like GBH, turtles... but raccoon's were hanging around for a while.

In fairness, I see raccoon tracks along the shoreline, I've seen mink, used to see muskrats but haven't for over a year, I have many very large (caught a 45 lb'r) snappers, and of course GBH's.

My goal is to not let any of the above outfish me

A 22 and/or 12 gauge will quickly tip the scales in your favor.

With the "V" shape wound, I could see a snapper doing that but I've seen too many LMB with stab wounds and the same type on that BG. But that IS the first BG I've seen hit. But I suppose it will happen more as they get bigger. [/quote]

I've seen Cormorants (water turkeys) do the same thing to young LMB here in SE Texas and the fish make it to adulthood. They leave a similar scar.

I concur both pictures are male BG, pale light color is mostly due to your turbid water. Don't fish'em too frequently or you will teach them to be hook shy.

GBH are bad news. I rate them as the No. 1 threat to my old pond and my new pond.

could it be a cormorant?

Very nice bluegill Keith.

Thanks, Al!

James, I know we have them here, I just don't recall seeing any.

For sure!

That's why I use a 12 foot deep by 160 foot seine now to harvest large bluegills on an annual basis.

James,
I believe it is quite possible.

+1 WTs (cormorants) are the most devastating feathered predator a pond can experience IMO. They can take a fairly large fish, dive deep and stay down a long time....and they are known to invite their buddies to the party, not like GBH who are loners.

I ran sting criss cross over my pond and even out away from the banks to stop them from flying in close and walking over.

I used a spool of heavy Mono. I took a latter and went up a tree tied it around it, climbed down walked around pond lettered up a tree on the other side and tied it off.

Works pretty good. they don't really see it until they are right on it and it freaks them out. I had one that would try to figure it out and avoid them. But when I spooked him off he would take off and panic trying to avoid them. He hit them onnce and it made him crash to the ground. It has not been back since. I also had an osprey diving from a roost in a tree. It blocked its flight path enough and it stopped visiting the pond. If they try to fly in at night it hits their wings as they don't really see it and it freaks them out too. I feel it has cut down on the larger bird visitation greatly.

The Mono across the air is not really noticeable. You have to be looking for it and the sun has to be at the right angle to see it. Other than that its nearly invisible.

I don't worry about the GBH at all .... Worst case they might eat some basslings, that would save me the trouble. There isn't anything in the shallows cept bass. Now cormorants are a different story altogether

The cormorants have been at or around my pond ever since the Tp die off, as many as 80 as I tried to count them when they flew off, 50 the day before that. The Tp was a source of slow moving food for them. Two Bald Eagles showed up at that same time and I saw one of them again last week, looking for something to eat at the pond. I now keep my 5lb toy poodle close as we walk the pond because of the eagles. He (Charlie) love swimming in the pond, he even swam out to some duck decoys I had not picked up. I hate cormorants

Tracy

Tracy, cormorants are bad. I didn't realize how bad until I did a fish survey on a 7/8 acre pond a year ago. It had 3-5 cormorants visiting daily. I didn't think they would do too much damage because the visibility was 12" or so due to a thick phytoplankton bloom.

I was wrong.

80% of the fish that I sampled showed that they escaped from a cormorant. It didn't matter what species, all had marks on them from the birds. Scales removed, scrapes, fins torn, etc.

essup, I hate them and they know it, they here me coming and take off before it get a chance to do anything other than cuss and shake my hand at them. I catch an occasional cnbg with marks of where the dam birds nicked at them. inthink they pray on the TFS for the most part, I found about 100 4" Tfs floating after I ran that big group off. But I also found two 8" HSB floating also. I really don't know what else to do about them. I don't think they can get the lmb as easy as they can get the TFS in the pond, but I can't be for certain.

Tracy

Tracy
Get up early and go "duck" hunting with a 12 ga . Be sure to hide well as they have incredible eyesight. Try to set up near where you see them swimming around, let them land as they are real awkward to get up in the air, they circle around giving you a chance at them. Few days of this might deter them .... Might. Good luck

If you seening ones with scars, imagine how many you don't see in their bellies.

Tracy, a friend down there has a permit from TP&W to shoot them. He has a number of ponds on his place, from 70+ to 1/2 acre in size. His pride and joy is a 35 ac trophy bass pond. He averages around 200 cormorants per year.

esshup, I may have to pull out the 50 cal. and take a prone position from the hill top. Sniper stile with the 50 cal would shake a few feathers off them

Tracy

At this point I am very thankful I have just one GBH and that I haven't seen any cormorants.

What a menace!

We are lucky enough to be blessed with GBH, Great White Egrets, and cormorants here at our place. My take on them is that GBH are the smartest of the three, the GWE are seasonal so they're not as big a problem, and the cormorants are crafty, fish eating machines, and just a general pain in the rear on any BOW. I do have a permit for the cormorants so at least removal via lead is an option with those.

We also have Bald Eagles, and an occasional Osprey, and they're allowed to eat as they want. They're just too majestic to run off, and migrating ducks seem to be their preferred diet.

This is the third year in a row we've had a pair of Canadian geese (we named them Carol and Darryl) show up in late January after most of the others have already migrated, and they have been amazing to watch. They are very protective of the big puddle, and aggressively chase GBH, other geese, and cormorants off "their" water. They do nest, but I'll give those eggs to members Sid or Highflyer, and they can raise them with Sid's other birds. Once the female's egg filled nest is disturbed, they remain another week or two and then just disappear for the year. These geese do earn their keep while they're here, so we leave them alone, but we don't let them hatch their eggs under any circumstances. When the male is alone, stays in a specific area, and starts getting chatty when approached, we know the female is nesting, so we start looking for her in earnest.

It's probably not the smartest thing to do, but we do enjoy watching the 2 of them protect the pond from fish eaters for the month or so they are here. I've sure made worse decisions in my life.

That's great info, Al!

I had two of the same Canadian geese as you speak of and now know why they were doing what they were doing, and acting the way they were acting! I'll know this year to keep a closer eye on their activity(s). As you mentioned, I now know they were also protecting the pond (their territory).

Thanks for sharing!

The kids were super excited today! Ice out was on wednesday and Friday was nice so they wet some lines. The worm and hook only was bouncing on the bottom a little bit and in came a perch! They only caught 2 on Friday before supper. Then today they tried again and the fish were a little more cautious. We switched from worms to stubby steve pellets and got 2 perch and a goldfish. The one perch was nice, and fat, probably ready to lay eggs. The other one was smaller.

The perch went in last spring, they stocked in a range of mostly 4-6" and most closer to the 4-5" mark. There probably was a stray 6 or 7" in there. I'm assuming one of the larger ones did a great job of cleaning the pellets off the bottom or eating the FHM. I don't see any minnows at all yet. There are supposedly GSH and FHM but the perch may have taken out most of them. There are crayfish but they went in during the late summer and probably won't have young till this spring.

So great to feel that solid, stout, thick-torsoed perch in my hand!

The water must have warmed considerably since ice out was Wednesday and we did have some 60 degree days. Today was above and sunny in the afternoon. Water temps on the east and the west side of the pond was both 49 degrees.

I have limbs out on all four sides of the pond and we'll see where the eggs go. I'm guessing they will drop them tonight, or very soon judging on water temps and how they looked (ready to pop!)

Many thank to Bill Cody for helping me get them in the pond and teaching me about their ancestors from Lake Erie. You hold one in your hand and it is amazing to think what their genetic heritage is.

One question for the experts. If I wanted to transfer perch to another smaller pond, would it be safe to take the fertilized egg strand and place it on a branch in the new body of water? Or better to net 1-2" baby perch and transfer those?



Tummy view:


Side view:


Close up. Hard to believe it may have been only 5-6" last year this time!

Absolutely awesome man! Good looking boys, nice fish and....not a video game in sight!

It's amazing how fast they can shut off feeding. I'm beginning to wonder if mine don't already recognize my canoe as s threat, and stop eating.
Sometimes I wish they were a little more aggressive in going after my offerings.

Thanks for the comments. If size matters then I'm in trouble as I see my perch look like YOY perch compared to Cecil's

But Bill you are correct, the experience for the kids is what it is all about. If enough grow large enough that we need a selective harvest, a perch dinner or two caught in your front yard is a luxury that very few people enjoy

I put a can of tuna in my newly prepared mesh minnow trap. No crayfish.

Anyone know what temps the crayfish become active? (I'll make a thread on that too.)

Sunday morning pulled this 20.5", 4.97 lb LMB. Caught with a AM LMB pellet-fly.

Sorry, no mouth gape and if I figured correctly comes in at 118% WR.

Fun stuff!

Good looking fish. Keep it up.
Cmm

Awesome Keith! That's one fat fish!

Nice fish. Obviously a female with this year's crop of small largemouth. Don't forget the ruler next time for a gape measurement. Thanks from all us fish nerds.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Here you go Bill



Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 120:500-508, 1991
© Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 1991
Experimental Analysis of Prey Selection by Largemouth Bass:
Role of Predator Mouth Width and Prey Body Depth
K. DAVID HAMBRIGHT
Section of Ecology and Systematic and the Ecosystems Research Center
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
Abstract.—Piscivorous fish are size-selective predators. Although sizes of prey selectively ingested
by piscivores traditionally have been measured in terms of prey length relative to predator
length, the relationship between prey body depth (measured dorsoventrally) and piscivore mouth
gape may be a more appropriate measure of prey size selection. In 2-d feeding trials with three
sizes of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, I offered various sizes of shallow-bodied fathead
minnows Pimephales promelas and deep-bodied pumpkinseeds Lepomis gibbosus in assemblages
of one or both species. All sizes of predators preferred pumpkinseeds with body depths well below
the maximum size ingestible. Small predators also preferred fathead minnows with body depths
below the maximum size ingestible, whereas intermediate and large predators selectively ingested
the largest fathead minnows offered. Largemouth bass never ingested prey of body depth greater
than their own external mouth width. Although lengths of selectively ingested fathead minnows
and pumpkinseeds differed, largemouth bass showed highest preferences for prey of similar body
depths regardless of taxonomic identity. These results suggest that, in addition to setting constraints
on maximum sizes of prey that can be ingested by piscivores, the relationship between prey body
depth and piscivore mouth gape may also be important in selection of prey within the range of
ingestible sizes. Therefore, body depth may be more useful than the traditional measure of prey
length as a common measure for examining prey selection by gape-limited piscivores over a wide
array of prey species.
Piscivorous fish are gape-limited predators,
consuming only prey they can swallow whole. Because
prey are generally swallowed head- or tailfirst,
their body depth (measured dorsoventrally)
relative to the size of a piscivore's mouth determines
whether they can be ingested (Swingle 195Q;
Lawrence 1958; Werner 1977; Tonn and Paszkowski
1986). Thus, in any particular habitat prey
with boidy depths greater than the largest piscivore
gape are invulnerable to ingestion. The vulnerability
of prey within the range of ingestible sizes
is determined by other factors such as size distributions
of piscivores and prey, prey encounter rates
with piscivores, and predator-avoidance behaviors
of prey (Wahl and Stein 1988; Hambright et
al., in press).
Prey-selection behavior of piscivores also influences
the vulnerability of prey. Optimal foraging
theory postulates that predators maximize the ratio
between the benefits gained and the costs incurred
in obtaining prey. Obviously, the benefits
gained increase as a function of prey size, but cost,
in particular that due to handling time, also increases
rapidly with prey size (Werner 1974). Hoyle
and Keast (1987,1988) demonstrated that, for two
piscivores (largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides
and grass pickerel Esox americanus), the
weight-adjusted handling time for prey of equivalent
lengths varied


TABLE 3.—Predicted and actual maximum body depths (standard lengths in parentheses) of fathead minnows
and pumpkinseeds ingested by small, intermediate, and large largemouth bass. Predicted values are based on the
mean external mouth widths of the predators. Prey standard lengths were calculated with equations (1) and (2) in
the text by substituting the mean predator mouth width for prey body depth. Asterisks indicate prey sizes exceeded
the naturally occurring size ranges listed in Carlander (1969, 1977).
Largemouth
bass group
Small
Intermediate
Large
Mean external
mouth width
(mm)
14.6
25.6
34.2
Maximum size of
fathead minnow (mm)
Predicted
14.6
(59.8)
25.6
(99.2*)
34.2
(130.0*)
Ingested
13.3
(55)
13.3
(55)
13.3
(55)
Maximum size of
pumpkinseed (mm)
Predicted
14.6
(39.6)
25.6
(62.3)
34.2
(80.9)
Ingested
13.0
(35)
22.2
(55)
31.5
(75)

Thanks everyone, it's so cool to see all this come together, and catching one of these (and the HSB's) feels like such a reward


Mr. Cody, would you explain what you mean by that?

And sorry about the mouth gape, I remembered on the recent HSB but forgot on this one! And I had a tape in hand

My guess is full of eggs. It do look that way.

Keith...very nice!

Keith, it's time for our favorite pair of geese to hit the super slab.

Carol disappeared for a day or two, so I knew she was close to laying. I found her nest, let her sit for a few days to make sure all her eggs were out, and finally checked the nest yesterday. Heading to Winnsboro this morning to take the eggs to their new home.

I'll miss these 2 geese, but the GBH's won't.

Thanks for sharing, Al!

Since you brought this up earlier it's made me wonder about the only two geese that seem to hang around my pond, so seeing where they (one in particular) like to hang out near the shoreline, I'll be looking closer for a nest.

And although I've chased a GBH away already this year, I haven't seen it for the past couple weeks. If I knew it were the geese keeping the GBH away I'd let them be, but apparently if they're nesting, I want them out once the eggs are laid?

Very interesting and thanks again for sharing!

PS - Can you elaborate on "take the eggs to their new home"?

I thought the conservation Dept used to drill holes in the eggs, or something like that to keep them from hatching. Might keep the geese around, and the GBH away.
So far, I haven't had any geese on my pond. I've got about 2,000 flying over every day, but they must not like my pond. The trees come right up to the edge though, maybe they don't like that. Ducks seem to like the pond, but maybe the geese need a longer runway, so to speak.

scrambled goose eggs with cheese grits ....

Keith, the Bad Brian wanted them so I'm taking the eggs to PB member Sid's place to hatch them. He raises Japanese Quail, so he has all the equipment and facilities needed.

All I know is that the eggs can't stay here. These 2 particular geese really made me believe that the newly hatched geese would just keep coming back year after year. That would be a bad thing for sure.

No geese on the pond this morning, nor a nest to be found. But I'm also guessing with the amount of critters I have around here I would guess there's little chance of them hatching/surviving.

But since I was out there, and feeding, I decided to cast a line and caught 2 LMB, one at 3lb, one just under, and a HSB at 18", 3lb with a 1 3/4" mouth gape .

Always a great way to start the work day

Keith

PS - I did get a pic of the HSB, just not enough time to upload it

My 2yo granddaughter was all giggles today! Giggling casting for her first times, and giggling after being shocked she actually caught a fish on her first cast today...she wound up catching several BG and GSF and should be hooked for life! Man, this is what it's all about!

That is for sure!

Tracy

That's awesome, Rex!

And the giggling is the best part!

what a beautiful young lady! And spending time with her grandpa fishing too? Nothing better!!

Nice Rex nice!!

RC

Collect your goose eggs within a day or two of being laid, or you'll have scrambled goose eggs with gritty cheese!

Rex, momma waits until they all are laid before incubating them, so they all hatch at the same time, even though she lays one per day.

You can wait a few days without any worries.

Here is my sister's best.



She was excited.

Brian, I bet she had a GOOD TIME

Tracy

Rex / Brian,
Very nice. Can't wait to get my li'l grandson's out at the farm to fish.
Charlie

Nice LMB for sure.