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Joined: Mar 2007
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Hello forum. I have decided to manage my 2.5ac pond for trophy BG..I stocked 3000 FH minnows, 800 2-3 cnbg and 200 redear back in november. I stocked light for forage reasons and i hope to get a couple hundred condello BG when he has them. im located in deep south texas so i have a year round growing season, so i have been feeding all winter.. i have never seen a BG eat any of the feed (AM gamechow)but my gambusia and mexican tetras can eat 2-3 lbs in less than 5 min..in fact there were so many gambusia in the pond that i went ahead and stocked 150 4"-6" f1 hybrid bass and 75 adult CNBG on Fri. so now u know the history, is it a problem that the BG are not eating the feed? i assume they have so much natural forage there not interested in the feed? am i correct? i was told by the biologist that in my area i should have 2-3 lb bass in the first yr, so when should i start culling the 14+ bass. should i wait till they have spawned at least once, even if there already more than 14"? trophy Bluegill are my #1 priority. thanks for the help guys.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099 Likes: 23
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099 Likes: 23 |
For trophy gills, you want an abundant, overpopulation of Bass. You WANT skinny stunted bass in a trophy bluegill pond to allow only the healthiest, strongest, fastest growing gills to survive. You won't want to remove smaller Bass, but you may want to remove the occasional bigger bass...You may even want to add an additional 100-150 LMB to your stocking plan now.
Last edited by Rainman; 03/16/11 05:58 PM.
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
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You might try changing feeding locations. Go hunt where the fish want to be instead of where you want them to be.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Joined: Apr 2010
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Fingerling
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Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
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I caught 2 huge bluegills on a lizard with a 3/0 hook in my pond last weekend. When fishing they are constantly tugging on my lures. I feel like I have more of these giants than I used to. Do these guys feed on young bluegills and compete with the bass?
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,068 Likes: 280
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
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Sure, everything in the pond eats anything they can catch and will fit in their mouth.
99+% of the fish eggs, hatched, and grown gets eaten. It's natures way.
Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 03/27/11 09:04 PM.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Ambassador Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Ambassador Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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LWJ Make sure to read the latest issue of Pond Boss Magazine. Great story on this very topic of growing trophy bluegill.
"I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far." � Neil Simon,
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Joined: Apr 2011
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Joined: Apr 2011
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I live in Southeast idaho and have some questions about bluegills. Will they survive the winters up here.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,512 Likes: 270
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Welcome Brett to PB and that is a good question. . BG survive in eastern Canada - In Lake Opinicon, Ontario (44°16′N, 76°30′W) so that is a place to start the investigation. They also survive in South Dakota.
http://publish.uwo.ca/~bneff/papers.htm
23. Neff BD, LM Cargnelli, and IM Côté. 2004. Solitary nesting as an alternative breeding tactic in colonial nesting bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 56:381-387. [PDF]
Last edited by ewest; 04/07/11 04:36 PM.
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Fingerling
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Fingerling
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
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BG sex?
by tim k - 05/12/24 07:01 AM
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