Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Fish ID help...BG or Green SF?

I'm a new pond owner and I am trying to gauge what I've got in my population. Clearly overstocked with bass, but also caught these two bluegill (I'm assuming the first is a BG, the second I'm not so sure).

Can anyone help me identify exactly what variety these guys are?
fish photos

First fish is a BG , second is a GSF - likely or a HBG (BG x GSF cross)possibly with a high % of GSF genes.

My take....first fish is a male BG, second fish is a HBG a few generations removed from an F1....like ewest said, a high percentage of GSF showing through.

So I understand that GSF are undesirable. Will I have a problem or because it looks like a hybrid, its ok?

How about some more info regarding your pond? How big, does it have another water source feeding into it, what do you want out of your pond, what sizes of Bass are you seeing now, what other fish are present, and how much of an active, hands-on role are you willing to assume where your pond is concerned?, if any?

A general answer...in my opinion, GSF are oftentimes heavily utilized as forage by LMB. Of course, that can depend on the numbers, and sizes of the fish present. HBG, if that's what you have, and if allowed to recruit in number, will eventually produce a fish that resembles a GSF, (undesireable in most cases), but again, are readily preyed upon by LMB.

Sure -- thanks for the help.

Some background:
I bought a farm with a 3 1/2 ac pond last spring in east-central Missouri.

It is a 25 year old pond fed by runoff from two no-til crop fields that are separated from the pond by about 250'grass and shrub buffer zone. Looks to be about 15' deep through most of the center. Usually a green/brown with a couple feet of visibility. VERY weedy on the bottom (slimy filamentous algae) but no surface vegetation at all. Grass carp were put in about 5-7 years ago and I did find a huge dead carp in the runoff this spring. Very silty bottom that stinks when you stir it up. Sometimes green algae floating on top in fine layer in low wind.

I was told there are some big LMB (6-8lb range) and was even shown some mounts by a neighbor of very large bass (8-10lb)taken in the late 1990's. (Update: neighbor caught a 6lb last weekend, although still pretty skinny -- don't know how long it was).

We fished it pretty hard through the spring and summer and I have only caught two LMB over 12" -- both about 16"-18". Clearly underfed. Same neighbor says he has not been able to catch anything big all summer. I can catch ten 8"-12" LMB in a couple hours easily. But cannot catch anything on nightcrawlers / bobber. Looks like there are a few BG and a few crappie (caught one crappie). See a lot of minnows in the shallows, but can't tell what species.

My goal for the pond is managing primarily for trophy LMB, while still maintaining reasonable fishing over the next couple years. My son is 11 yo and is just really getting into fishing -- thus I don't want to do a kill and take a year or two off. Actually, its a lot of fun to involve him in the pond management plan and to have the "mission" to catch/remove as many small LMB as possible.

I am willing to invest in an aggressive re-stocking, but advise from the forum to date has been to wait until we take out a LARGE portion of the undersized LMB -- which we are doing with gusto!

You might want to call the Pond Boss office and buy a copy of "Basic Pond Management" by Bob Lusk. Good reading and will help you get your hands around what you need to do to accomplish your goals.

Definitely.

I would keep yanking those Bass out...what about protective cover and spawning areas for your BG..anything in place? Any chance of coming up with some 7-8" BG stockers?

Ok, will do on the book. And I have no idea how to cover spawning beds (more research).

I was actually going to stock BG this fall along with FHM, but realized I need to get the bass pop down first.

Now my tentative plan is to fish as hard as possible through the spring, stock minnows and shiners as a boost early and aim for a next fall BG stocking. But, its early in my plan formulations!

Thanks again for the advice. This site is a huge help.

It looks like you're on the right track.
You might consider a moderate stocking of the largest BG you can purchase next spring-if you can get the bass population down, and try to really nuke them when they're bedding in the spring, you might get some good spawns out of adult stocked fish. The numbers of new fish that can be generated by spawning will be much greater than you could likely afford through a fall stocking.

Sorry for the confusion in my last post Harris611, I wasn't very clear when I mentioned protective cover and spawning areas.....two different things there, not meant to be taken as one and the same.

My thinking was along the lines of helping your existing BG population by giving them every opportunity to increase their numbers.


Oops....Yolk beat me to it!

Been practicing with the Bearcat, Sparkie.

Keep practicing. I shudder to think of the ramifications of only wounding, (angering) one.

Yolk Sac is an awesome name...