Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Record RES

Saw this on another forum and I know we have some RES fans around here...



Submitted Photo courtesy of John Galbraith. David J. Smith, of Torrance, Calif., shows off his Colorado River record Redear Sunfish. Smith caught the 4.14 pound, 17. 25 inch fish Feb. 16 on a Dropshot worm on 8 pound test line at the Metropolitan Water District intake at the south end of Lake Havasu.

Jeez that is a nice RES. I stocked RES a couple of years ago and JWHAP caught one the year that we stocked them but we haven't seen any since.

Jhap, Painting the ear tabs of GSF red does NOT make them RES.....sheesh!

My lord...unbelivable...nice find Josh.

JHAP, how many did you stock? Are you fishing for them with jig/crawler on the bottom, fished REALLY slowly? I'd love to see how they're doing for you!

Wow, I never thought of that, thank you Rex you just opened up an entirely new method to ensure the GSF are stocked throughout the nation.

very cool omaha, thanks for finding and sharing that, right in our southern backyard too!

Very few. I think is was about 20 adult fish, some were gravid females and others were manly men fish (hopefully anyway).


No. Jeez you have to fish a certain way especially for them? No wonder I've never caught any. JWHAP caught the one on a fly with a fly rod.

IIRC DIED stocked about the same number and I don't think he's seen any of his either. They're sneaky little bastages.

i havent seen one since late 2007, and i have spent hours trying to slow fish the bottom w/ jig and crawler (and other things).....its impossible to keep the GSF and BG off the baits when i fish that way....but maybe someday...if there are still some survivors i bet they are BIG.....

Naah. In Kalifornia they were probably girly men. That's why you didn't have any reproduction.

I stocked 100 2 1/2yrs. ago in small pond. Have caught only a few small ones. Dont know where they are.
You know, when any species of sunfish get to a certain size they just cease looking like the normal sized of the species.

Around my parts they are are found in many of the natural lakes but are an incidental catch. And they tend to hug the bottom vs. the bluegills which suspend more.

In the winter they can be a *itch to catch as they don't like the cold water. Sometimes you can see 'em up to 12 inches under the ice hole in the shanty and they have no interest whatsoever in your bait.

I believe it was the third year after stocking RES in our "grow-out" pond that I discovered how to catch them - strictly by accident .... I thought they were all dead!

SINKING pellet flies - they will take them on the bottom.
Caught them one after another!
Also when I discovered RES can be pellet trained.





ps: They also love #6 Gurgler foam flies!

Wow that is a nice healthy specimen George!

Wow that is a nice RES George!

George,

That is a beautiful fish.

Two years ago I stocked about 50. There were a few in the pond before that. Every couple of years I catch one.

I caught one earlier this summer that was probably about 11 inches, and really thick. It swallowed the hook, but I cut the line and threw it back anyway.

I do know that my bluegill, bass, and crappie are about 95% free of black/white/yellow grubs. I also get a lot of feathered visitors to the pond. At neighboring ponds, the large quantity of grubs in the bass, bluegill, and green sunfish is unbelievable. So, something is keeping the grubs down.

If the power company doesn't condemn our property by next spring, I think I'll start another 100 in my frog pond grow out pond.

Ken

Ken, those little ponds are a lot of fun aren't they?
I first stocked it with FHM and RES fingerlings. The following year it was swarming with FHM's and we stocked 4-6 inch HSB to grow out for main pond.

Never caught a HSB for a year except a couple of 8-10 inchers with a cast net! I thought they all were dead until my son begin to catch them on spinner baits. We transferred over 50 to main pond - they were feed trained on FHM and RES fry - never got them to take pellet feed!

Nice lookin chinkypin.

Burger,

Any idea where that local colloquialism came from and/or what it means specifically? My WAG is it's Cajun?

I know there is an interesting name for green sunfish in Louisiana but I don't remember what it is at the moment.

Cecil, actually they are called chinquipin(which is also a tree). Most folks in Miss. call them that. I never heard redear growing up. Of course, I never heard crappie til I got to Texas. It was white perch. In Cajun it is sac o lait, or bag of milk, I think, referring to the sweet, white flesh. Flatheads are opeloussas(ops) or yellow cat.
Of course, bluegill are brim. Shiners are minners.

Here is one below

I hope some of mine made it as I mainly want them to keep the snails eaten and grubs in fish down.

But of course catching one would be nice as well.

I hope to find a place to get some adults either this winter or early spring.

Actually, that white perch is white puhch when around my Miss. cousins.