Do you love big bluegill?

Your Pond

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This group is about your pond. How's it going? Questions on what to do next. Fish size and type.

Members: 46
Latest Activity: Aug 16, 2018

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Fish Feeding 13 Replies

I have a 5 acre pond with bass,bluegill, crappie, and catfish. I was thinking about getting a protein based food called Aquafeed to feed the fish in order to keep them fat and healthy. Is this a good…Continue

Started by Wade Jones. Last reply by Terry E Brand Aug 16, 2018.

Bad Luck Stories 1 Reply

I caught 4 bluegill Thurs. before I laid my pole down around a post, and went to get my fishing chair. It never got pulled in before when I did this, but it did then. Whatever it was swam all around…Continue

Started by 10.5" RES Sharon. Last reply by David, aka, "McScruff" Jun 22, 2013.

Looking for Rotenone or someone to do it cheap 1 Reply

Thanks for this cool group everyone! I currently have a 1/4 acre pond that I'm wanting to redo. I am unable to locate a source for Rotenone or someone to do it for a good price. I live in MD, so…Continue

Started by Chris Roberts. Last reply by Ryan McCaw Apr 27, 2013.

Skinny bluegill and bass 6 Replies

Hey everyone hope you all are great fishing season and enjoying the summer, unfortunately at my pond the fish are not doing all that great this summer. My pond has always produced 4 to 5 pound bass…Continue

Started by Wade Jones. Last reply by Mike Cross Oct 11, 2012.

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Comment by Walt Foreman on February 7, 2012 at 5:22pm: Zach, when their heads get too large for their bodies is when you know you have enough bass, if one is trying to raise large bluegill. You aren't going to find fat, healthy largemouth in a pond that's maximized for trophy bluegill - the two are mutually exclusive.

Comment by Zach Pierce on February 7, 2012 at 12:23pm: Sharon, I too eat LMB, now before people start posting against it I will have to say that they are usually anywhere from the 8-12 inch range which is small but this is to reduce numbers in ponds that have way too many in them. When you are fishing for BG and catch all bass in this range they need to come out. Then again if you are looking to raise large BG you may not want to take them out, but I think when there heads start to get way too large for their body something has to give. Plus many people say to just throw the small ones on the bank, LMB, BG, Crappie, etc. but if they have any meat on them I will try to take them home before just tossing them. The problem with LMB is that you may get in trouble depending on your state for keeping too many or a certain size. I think you should be able to keep what you want from your own pond, but then again I guess they really do not know where you caught them.

So I think you ought to try LMB out when you get a chance, they are not as good as BG or even Crappie IMO, but they still make a nice meal. Once they get larger as with many fish I do not think they are as good. Plus on a side note I have had some from ponds that were pretty mossy or full of weeds and they did not taste very good either. You could see the moss in the meat, greenish filets.

Comment by JBplusThuy on February 7, 2012 at 11:34am: Maybe I'm just weird, but I think bass taste great, too; they're relatives of sunfish, so they should :-)

Once in a while I catch a bass by accident while fishing for bluegill - nothing larger than 15" so far - but if it's legal size, it heads for the table along with the 'gills. If I ever caught a bass that was really big, I'd likely release it - partly to preserve the fishery, and partly because they tend to have high mercury levels in the larger fish. Mercury is also a problem in larger BG, at least here in California. Just one more reason to keep and eat the smaller ones, IMO.

Comment by Walt Foreman on February 7, 2012 at 10:51am: Sounds good, Iteago!

Comment by Walt Foreman on February 7, 2012 at 10:50am: Sharon, you're correct in that bass are generally regarded as not as tasty as bluegill - in my opinion, it's not even close. I personally prefer bluegill to any other freshwater fish.

Don't feel that you have to give up on your goal of big bluegill, especially if that's an important goal - you've made a lot of progress from the time I first began seeing photos of your fish. I'm just trying to help you make that last step that will transform your pond into a bluegill honeyhole the likes of which you never thought possible. And at this point, that really could be as simple as adding twenty or so adult bass.

Comment by Iteago L. Felton on February 7, 2012 at 10:00am: Walt, I've looked on line for a dredging company and will have to work with that once I get back. You are correct about my pond being in Georgia which means that I will manage it from NC and then KY once we relocate. My plan is to have it finished in three years before building the house.

Comment by 10.5" RES Sharon on February 7, 2012 at 8:25am: Thanks for the help Walt. I might do that, or I might just switch to raising LMB as that's what I seem to be good at. I have been trying to catch one and eat it to see if they're good. Everyone I have talked to says they don't like bass, they are too strong tasting. What do you think?

Comment by Walt Foreman on February 7, 2012 at 8:20am: Hey Iteago, good to hear from you. Fort Knox is not too far from my hometown, a little more than two hours if I remember correctly. Your pond is in Georgia, correct? The first thing to do would be to test the alkalinity, which I can do when we meet up at the pond; I'll also test the oxygen levels, and take a look at the water clarity. Have you started looking into the dredging yet? That will make a big difference.

Comment by Walt Foreman on February 7, 2012 at 8:16am: Sharon, you're absolutely correct in that you would not want to stock fingerlings because they would definitely get eaten. You want to stock largemouth at least 6" and 8-10" would be even better. You're not at all between a rock and a hard place, though, because you live only 74 miles from one of the very best hatcheries in the whole country, that being Overton Fisheries in Buffalo, TX. I drove all the way to Arkansas last spring just to meet up with Todd Overton to get some of his CNBG - they have great fish. And, they sell larger largemouth, 6" all the way up to pound-size though the pounders are pricey as they are at any hatchery. As close as you are, they would deliver right to your pond. I would recommend adding at least fifty if you go with the 6" size since some of them would be likely to get eaten by the large bass presently in your pond, or at least twenty if you get pounders which would be much less likely to get eaten:

http://www.overtonfisheries.com/StockerFish/FishPricesAvailability/...

If you get smaller fish, the northern-strain would be fine as you aren't concerned with the genetics of the bass since you're aiming to have them stunt anyway. If you get pound-size bass, I'd recommend buying the Florida-strain since they're probably not pellet-trained as the pound-size northern bass will be, which means they'll do a better job of getting your bluegill under control, and also won't take pellets away from the bluegill. Give Overton's a call - I bet they're already making deliveries. If you stock twenty pound-size, non-pellet-trained bass into your pond you'll be amazed at how quickly those scads of small bluegill and green sunfish begin to dwindle.

Comment by Iteago L. Felton on February 7, 2012 at 5:56am: Hey walt I'll be home sometime in Mar and will contact you about my pond to get started this spring summer. I'm being relocated to FT Knox KY, how far is that from your location. What is the first thing I need to do to the pond. I plan on getting the water tested when I get there.