Do you love big bluegill?

hybrid-june-17

So I just bought a brand-new digital scale last week, and it worked fine yesterday when I was doing a consultation, seemed to be right on the money. But then this morning it sprinkled rain as we were fishing (guided Don and his brother, who drove down from St. Louis), and the scale got wet, and was badly off when we caught these two big ones.

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Comment by Jason Preslar on June 24, 2013 at 6:20am: That's a chunk!

Comment by Walt Foreman on June 19, 2013 at 8:52pm: If the biggest bluegill in the ponds I'm managing live to six years, they should get pretty dang big; I've only been working with these ponds for four years.

Comment by Walt Foreman on June 19, 2013 at 8:47pm: It is an interesting theory to be sure. We caught a couple coppernose today - the fishermen took photos but I was relying on them as I wanted to get the fish back into the water as quickly as possible - that were only 9" but I am sure were well over a pound, super-round fish; and of course there are the northern-strains we caught yesterday that were even rounder.

Comment by Tony Livingston on June 19, 2013 at 8:44pm: Also, my oldest, biggest class of HBG are six years old.

Comment by Tony Livingston on June 19, 2013 at 8:42pm: I agree on the BG dominant hybs being more rounded, while the GSF dominant fish are typically more elongated. You could be on to something Jim.....perhaps the faster growing, pellet fed fish simply outgrow their framework for a few years......

Comment by Jim Gronaw on June 19, 2013 at 8:36pm: Yeah...I just don't really know, and my assumptions are based strictly on observation of fish I have seen here and on other boards. Don't know the ages of the fish you guys have, but the oldest ones that I have been catching are 9 years old. The bluegill dominant hybrids I have seen in this pond appear to be heavier, per length, than the others. But the green sunfish dominant hybs seem to be longer, and 2 of the 3 fish that have met or exceed 12 inches appear to be the GSF Dominant fish, with a slightly more elongated body frame.

I have noticed that the Euro carp industry...fee fishing for giant, protein fed carp in very controlled, small waters...is dominated with fish that are relatively short in length but maintain a grotesque, rotund body profile. A 32 inch mirror or common carp weighs from 34 to 40 pounds...incredible! Here at home, I have banked many carp from 34 to 38 inches, but weights are a far cry from those farm raised monsters accross the pond. This is what started me theorizing that the pellet fed hybs might grow much quicker, with that huge body dynamic, than those from the un-managed water that seem to attain greater skeletal length with lower WR's.

Of course, none of this is scientific...just speculation on my part. Might be bunk!

Comment by Walt Foreman on June 19, 2013 at 7:59pm: Just noticed that your theory was specifically in regards to hybrids, Jim. I would say that the two biggest male hybrids that have come out of this pond, were both pretty short and stocky; but I've caught others that seemed to have a more normal body shape, though they were smaller, 16-20 oz. range.

Comment by Walt Foreman on June 19, 2013 at 7:55pm: I've noticed more super-round bluegill when feeding high-protein food; but I've also seen very long fish that were thick, but more elongated in body shape. We actually caught a couple northern-strain males yesterday that were the roundest bluegill I've personally seen - I think one of the guys I was guiding got a photo of at least one of them. I was trying to get the fish back into the water as quickly as possible.

As far as the measurements, Lee, I did measure this fish just prior to her flopping off the ruler as I snapped the shot. I thought I had measured her at 12" but looking at the photo it looks like she was 11.5". She was big, at any rate.

Comment by Tony Livingston on June 19, 2013 at 6:36pm: I think there may be another variable in the mix Jim: the age of the fish in question. Supplementally fed BG, and especially hybrid BG, grow much more rapidly, (at first), than a fish subsisting solely on natural forage. Perhaps it's a case of those bulkier, shorter HBG being younger in age, and not having attained the length of those you posted?

Certainly I wonder about the effects of a high-protein diet on my fish....I wouldn't be surprised to find they have a somewhat shorter lifespan than non-pellet fed fish. I won't rule out any possibility at this point, but I still feel that my fish will achieve a greater length in time......hopefully while retaining a correspondingly larger girth.

Comment by Jim Gronaw on June 19, 2013 at 5:35pm: Just another huge fish that I would put in the 1-10 to 1-12 catagory. Clearly a very big WR on this one.

These hybs, and the big ones Tony raises, have incredible girth and body weights for their length. The ones I'm getting from the un-managed pond are greater in skeletal length, but, although plenty healthy, are not as heavy per length as these supplementally fed hybrids. Fabulous fish!

Could it possibly be that pellet fed hybrids may not attain the skeletal length as opposed to a balanced, natural diet option that my fish seem to be experiencing? In other words, could the high protein pellets pack on the weight, yet somehow retard the skeletal growth of the fish? Or did hybs in our pond just get a jump start early in life due to their aggressive nature and abundant, natural forage?

Any ideas Tony or Walt?