Caught one RES, one YP, many, many HBG, and three SMB. The SMB were the first ones I've ever caught, in my life. Water temps are up to 80 degrees about 12" deep. The YP have pretty much stopped biting. The HBG will definitely nibble on swimmers.. They might need to be removed for that reason.. (If they can be removed). Lots of tiny fry along the banks. Not sure what they are.





Didn't get a pic of the YP.

Those fish look great! Looks like your well on your way! Im not sure if you remember my pond, but I stocked very similar fish as you minus the HBG in 2014. My bass are 12", HSB were 12" last fall and perch are 10-11" so it doesn't take long!

Strange thing is I stocked over 900 RES in the fall of 2014 and haven't seen a single one since... Im starting to wonder if they are still alive, but haven't seen a single dead one. Really baffles me...

Thanks for sharing.

You might try fishing with a slip bobber in a lot deeper water than you'd think....do you have any structure in 5-8 feet of water? We had a good population of RES in our pond down home for many years and the ONLY way to catch them most of the time was to get deeper. All the other sunfish species would be in 1-4 feet depth and the RES would be twice that, and would NOT come up to feed. Period.

I think my RES are just post spawning. There were lots of beds along the bank.
I've caught a few of them since stocking, but very few.
I'm not sure if the SMB are spawning. The beds I made a few years ago, are now too shallow to use. The draught, and my small leak have the pond down over three feet.

As I mentioned, these are the first SMB I've ever caught. You can sure tell the difference, as soon as they strike and fight, between them and the YP, and HBG. After getting snacked on so much by the HBG while swimming, I'm wondering if maybe it wasn't a mistake to put in the few that I did. I imagine they've spawned also, even though the local fish seller told me they wouldn't spawn.

Fish look great! Coming along nicely.

JamieE, here is an old thread on catching RES. I have my best luck right around sundown. I am guessing as the light gets not so bright the RES are coming up in shallow water to get the snails. Small bait and small hook.

RES - Low and Slow

Shorty is the one got me to using the casting bubbles.