Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations BG/RES ID?

So did just a little fishing on Sunday to see how the fish were doing this spring. Pleasantly suprised at my bg size as some of them are pushing 7-8" and were stocked just under 2 years ago. Here are a couple pictures of two of them I caught that I am curious on your thoughts of what they are exactly. Pond was stocked with bg, res, and bg/res hybrids. The large black ear (I am sure this is not the proper term) on both and the coloration on the first are very different from what I am used to seeing.



So fish experts what say you?

Interesting fish. I am also interested as to what the pros say.

There are recent posts of large black ear tabs like that on CNBG. Of course LES have those as well but they weren't part of your stocking mix.

The yellow coloration I think is what makes those fish so unusual. Some ponds seem to really bring out the yellow color in the fish.

This thread might be real helpful:

HBG and RES / hybrids

Can you post a pic of your regular BG ? Both fish have substantial BG traits. My guess is not 100% BG though. Local adaptation can be a large factor also.

Let me see if I can catch a few fish when I get home from work tonight ewest. I didnt keep the pictures i took of the "normal" looking fish... lol

I think those fish of Blue72 are as ewest says mostly BG and IMO pure BG due to the completely black ear tab. No light colored margin on ear tab that indicates hybrid influence.

Alright so this is probably overkill but here is a sampling of 17 fish that I caught in about 15 minutes last night. Its fast and easy fishing in front of the feeder. LOL I am very pleasantly suprised at the size of a couple of these fish. My take away is that the large black ear tab seems to be somewhat common in my fish, not sure whats up with the coloration on the first one but the pinkish body seems somewhat common as well.

I appoligize for them being upside down and out of wack photobucket wont let me correct them...

And last nights oddball, I am almost positive this is a res/bg hybrid.

Good looking fish, a nice mix of males and females, some good body dynamics in the photos.

It appears that your BG all have the same adaptation. Based on these pics I think the first pics you posted are similar and they are BG. The last pic is a hybrid of some sort not a pure BG or RES.

ewest, could the last picture be a female RES? I see a combination of male and female BG in all the other pictures.

To the OP:
There is a great photo ID series on sunfish in the archives.

I believe it to be one of the bg/res that were stocked.

On the article in the archive where might i find it? I knew I had seen one on here before but couldnt find it so thats why I made this post.

So I guess the large ears are normal on my bg, I have still never seen one with the coloration on its head like the one in the first picture. Guess it is just a little different huh?

What size were the bluegill when you stocked them?

esshup I guess that is possible. The fish looks unusual to me. It has RES traits but also some BG traits. BG X RES hybrids are not monolithic in appearance or traits. It would be good to get a thread together to show some of the different pics. of the cross.
Also BG can have vastly different looks. I will find the old thread of mine showing BG from the same location.

An FYI the second pic is BG but it has traits of both a male and female BG - wonder if it is an imposter cuckhold or sneeker?


BG X RES




One BG variation thread all pics from same pond same time.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=9335&Number=97737#Post97737




Other BG

BG/RES link

300 bg, 100ish res, and 100 bg/res hybrids were stocked almost exactly 2 years ago at 1-2" in length from Logan Hollow hatchery thru a local county fish sale.

If you want to read a little more about my pond follow this link.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=384861#Post384861

I bought some HBG and catfish from Logan Hollow through Madison County fish sale last year. I also bought some through Farm and Home's fish sale. I would really like to buy some BG, but do not want them taking over the pond.

But...I really like the true BG over the HBG.

First page of the archives, 14th thread down from the top.
"Common pond fish primer (sunfish edition)"


http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92482#Post92482

Coloration isn't the only thing to look at when trying to ID a sunfish. Ear tab size and color. Gill plate color(s), Black tipping on the scales on the top of the shoulder, (yes or no?), and for a RES, it's a destructive test, but look for pharyngeal teeth.......

I'm with ewest on the fish in the second photo, it shows both male and female characteristics.

The pinkish hue on some bluegills is sometimes referred to as grapefruit coloration by those who obsess over all things lepomid. Not that I know, and/or socialize with anyone who fits that description.

The pinkish hue is kinda neat to me. Kinda like rainbow Sunfish

Yeah my fish came from montgomery county as I missed macoupin and madisons the year I stocked the BG. My bass came from rainman here on the forum and I picked up Albino CC at farm and home last spring. I went with regular bluegill as I know a pond can be balanced relatively well in our area as I have fished several farm ponds in the area that have been great fishing since I could hold a rod and real and have had little management other than the occasional fisherman ever. Where are you located in Madison county? I grew up in the Dorsey/Prairietown area.

I live in Dorsey, but my father-in-law lives a few miles north of Worden. Last year we bought from Madison County SWCD and Troy, IL and from Farm and Home in Alton. I liked the albino catfish we got from Farm and Home (Nemo Bait and Fisheries) better than Logan Hollow, but liked the HBG from Logan Hollow better. I bought 100 REG from Farm and Home and watched most die even after very carefully acclimating them after reading they were more difficult.

I'm still thinking about putting BG from Troy, IL fish sale which is supplied from Logan Hollow. I still like the hump back of the BG over the HBG. Logan Hollow lists YP on their website and would be delivered or pick up. I might try those unless I find out that is a bad idea. It's only a 1 acre pond.

Small world on the internet isnt it? My parents live just a mile or so south of Dorsey still, I am just a couple miles east of bunker hill.

The hump back seems to be a hit or miss characteristic with blue gill as you can see in my pictures. Some of them are very round while others have a more tapered longer body all of mine came in the bags off the same truck.

YP would definitely be something different for the area but I dont know how well they do with the bathwater warm temperatures are ponds see around here in the dog days of summer. The little bit I have read about them on here they seem to be a hit or miss if they succeed in a pond or not.

For better id on sunfish and hybrids look at the gill rakers , bone structure (fins, head, gill plate ,spines etc) as well as those noted above by esshup.

As for Yellow Perch, the bigger the size, the less they like warm water. I've had surface water temps in the low 90's and haven't had a YP die off yet. I have YP that are pushing 14".

LMB like to eat YP, so if you have LMB in the pond make sure you have plenty of cover for them to hide in.