Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Redear and bluegill fingerling identification

I'm picking up some redear and standard bluegill from a possibly questionable fish truck soon. I'd like to be able to positively identify that the fingerlings I pick up are redears and STANDARD bluegill (not hybrid or coppernose) before putting them into my pond.

Can anyone share tips on what to look for to positively identify fingerlings as standard bluegill vs. a hybrid or coppernose, and how to positively identify a fingerling RES?

Thanks!

IIRC, RES should have a tiny red spot on the ear tab on at least some of them. HBG, check for larger than normal mouths and yellowish tinted margins on the anal/caudal/dorsal fins. Standard BG will not have any blueish mottling/streaks on their cheeks either.

I've seen so many fish that I usually don't have to look for specific things to determine the species. I just know what it is. You made me think a bit there!

Sort of like you reading this. You don't have to think about each word, sound it out and figure out what each word means to be able to read the forum, right?

Thanks, esshup. Although I'm not sure how to tell if mouths are larger than normal when I don't have anything to compare it to!

Also any suggestions on estimating numbers would be appreciated. If I pay for 1000 fingerlings I want to make sure I have 1000 fingerlings!

Compare the BG to the RES. Although that won't work if they substituted HBG for both........

As for numbers, I'm in your boat.

That's my burning question. If they sell fish by the individual fish, how do they count them? I know they are sorted by size, and "X" amount of "X" size fish are supposed to weigh "X" pounds, but how accurate is that when buying fish? Why aren't they sold by the pound?

I was counting YOY BG last Fall, and just started estimating fish in the net after I counted 1500 of them...........

ACK,

Here is a picture of a RES:



Note the RES have the red dot just behind the gill. All of my YOY RES have it.

One other thought, if you are questioning your source, WHY IN THE HECK WOULD YOU BUY FISH FROM HIM???????

There are lots of reputable sources, DO NOT BUY FROM A QUESTIONABLE SOURCE!!!

The experts here will be able to help you find a great source that you can trust, just ask. Please don't be penny wise and pound foolish!!!

Take it from me, getting your fish from a questionable source NEVER works out for the better, if they weren't questionable, everyone would be getting their fish from that source.

Think about count, health, size, genetics, just to name a few.

If your gut is telling you to not trust him, DON'T.

Last thought, tell us who your source is and you will get responses from others who have work with him very quickly and then you will know more about him. Just my two cents. But if you are asking these questions, there is a problem brewing!

Great advice Brian EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING.. Never buy from a questionable source.

It's more of a "trust but verify" situation, but your point is well taken. Thanks very much for your advice, everyone!

by the way, what is his name?

Dunn's fish farm. It's the only place anywhere close that has RES.

We got FHM from Dunn's all lived. Gave us a few extra pounds.

Where are you located in Oklahoma? Eastern part of the state?

ACK,
Dunn's was one of the fisheries I would have used if I would have know better than to use Rex Allen Curtis. Their fish sizes and weights were honest and I wish I would have used them with all the headaches I went through with Mr Curtis, thank God Mr Curtis has been ordered out of the business by an Arkansas judge.

I have not heard anything negative on this forum about Dunn's, in fact, I have heard good things in the past about them. If you have any questions, validate the info, which is what you said you are doing.

Please give us a report good or bad. It is the only way we will be able to update our ledgers! By the way there is a thread on this forum about "fish trucks" most guys leave very good information. If Esshup see this, he will be able to add that thread for you to read, I am unsure how to find it or I would add it here.

Ask yourself if the following is right

Coppernose Bluegill are ideal for ponds where forage is a concern because they are usually 80% female. Coppernose Bluegill are aggressive but remain a low impact fish since their mouths are small. Coppernose Bluegill are available on our route trucks or for special delivery or

Considered by many to be one of the most enjoyable fish to angle, Largemouth Bass are the most sought after fish on the market today. When stocked properly with an adequate supply of Hybrid Bluegill and Fathead Minnows, these fish may grow as much as 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per season.



It is from Dunn's web site.

I have bought stuff from them but not fish.

Have to go with the advice above, and recommend it. In my pond I have some unwanted fish. I never ordered Hybrid BG, or Green Sunfish but I have them now, and I caught 2 white crappie that I didn't order! I didn't find this site until after I stocked. I will only order from a supplier on here from now on. I thought everything was fine until I caught these fish. I am having the pond shocked in May to see what is actually swimming around.

Brian, you talking about this one ?

I wonder if it works both ways.... Strangely, I don't ever recall getting any unwanted fish in with any of my HBG.

Two weeks ago I picked up another 100 HBG and placed them in a cage. I purposefully didn't get these from my usual hatchery, but right off the local fish truck, just to satisfy my own curiosity. I counted 115 when I put them in the cage, all met the stated size, No BG or GSF. I have since lost 3. Tonight, I sampled the cage and was pleased with what I saw.

So far, so good.

This Saturday, I will try yet another unfamiliar hatchery to pick up my HSB. Hopefully, it too will go well.

Sparkplug, this is an intervention, I think you have an unhealthy obsession with those mut green sunfish (HBG)

I know, right?

I'm just reading about everybody else's problems or fears with unwanted HBG, and I'm thinking it must work the other way, too.

I'm still waiting to find a half dozen or so of those good-for-nothing Tilapia mixed in with my hybrid superfish...

I agree with Eric.

I can speak from experience about stocking HBG with LMB. We had a freshly dug out that some BG in it but we added HBG. At the time, we were not educated on different fish types. So we stocked extra HBG and lots of little LMB. Some of the LMB turned into 6 lber's but there was also six CC that got to about 10 lbs each in there. It worked for a few years. Then the LMB became stunned and there were too small LMB. Luckily, last summer's heat and drought killed the fish in this pond. I have not had the chance to fish it throughly to see if anything remains. May have a different to stocking this pond now.

I have learned a lot from reading this forum.

You reminded me of a fish and game department that mistakenly planted pumpkinseed vs. redears using that "red spot." It's been so long ago I can't remember where I read it or what state it was.

Good point!

I will say this - positive id of yoy BG and RES is difficult. There is a great thread on it with all the experts here and we still have problems. Could not find the thread last night.

Yes, thanks that is the page I was talking about!

Well, I went ahead and got them from Dunn's. I checked them over pretty thoroughly and they all looked like RES as far as I could tell. They put one bigger fish (around 5") in each bag with the little ones, which I found interesting.

Thanks again for your help. I'll post some pictures of the fish and the stocking to my pond thread in a couple of days.

Can't wait to see the photos!