Condition was very good but not near as good as the previously pictured fish.
My smaller 6-7" RES and under have some stiff competition from a very robust GSH population. An interesting note on those smaller 6-7" RES, they became very uncatchable from late June until mid September which corresponded with a very large GSH hatch this year. I also have a lot of 6-7" GSH that are directly competing with that particular year class of RES for groceries. This years GSH hatch now ranges in size from 1-3/4" to 2-3/4" and are likely too large for for those 6-7" RES to eat, but still an ideal size for my larger RES over 9".
It also appears that I had decent late summer hatch of RES as I am seeing 1" RES sitting in a few inches of water along the banks after dark. My pond currently has no vegetation and very little structure for YOY to hide in.
