Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Catching Red Ears

My new pond is nearly full and the stocking will begin soon! LM, BG, CC, and Red Ears. I have never caught a red ear and since they're kind of a bottom feeder I wondered if fishing is generally done as you would for blue gill or if you fish a little differently?

I catch Redears about the same as BG, worm under a bobber, usually deeper down close to the bottom. I have my best luck fairly close to shore.

IME Redears bite fairly slowly & softly, so have patience. a 10" Redear moves the bobber like a 4" BG for a while before it goes under.

Outside of the spring spawning season, I have caught a lot of my redears fishing for yellow and white perch. I use a red worm, couple of meal worms or grass shrimp on a size 8 or 10 bait holder hook. I use a swivel about 24 inches above the hook and a 1/8 to 3/8 oz(depending on depth) egg sinker above the swivel. I then attach a small foam float about 6" above the hook and bait to keep the bait a bit off the bottom. Fish this rig near some of your cover in your pond, typically in 4' to 8' of water, depending on water temperature and time of year. This is the rig I have used to catch most of my redears outside the spring spawning season. During spawning season, I catch them right by their beds the same way I do bluegill, often right together...