coppernose-2-april-15

Comment

Comment by Walt Foreman on April 15, 2012 at 11:10pm

To clarify, I stocked fingerling coppernose from American Sportfish hatchery in Alabama, in this pond last May, so those are the fingerlings I refer to below.

Comment by Walt Foreman on April 15, 2012 at 11:08pm

No, I'm pretty sure these fish are a maximum of two years old - I drove all the way to Arkansas in March of last year to meet Todd Overton, owner of Overton's hatchery in Buffalo, TX, because I had seen photos on here and elsewhere of his exceptional CNBG and had to have some.  They've been selectively breeding them for I believe twelve or fifteen years now; considering that the biggest ones I got from Todd last March were just over 6", they would have had to have been the worst runts of the hatchery to have been more than a year old then, because even the northern-strain 'gills in my best pond at the moment grow more than 6" in one year - we seldom ever even catch one that's not over 6".  We only caught a couple 'gills today that were under 8", and I don't see many smaller than 7" feeding at the feeder or around the bank or just at all; those fingerlings grew so fast I could almost see them grow week to week.  And, I stocked coppernose fingerlings from American Sportfish in a half-acre pond a few miles from this one, two summers ago, and several of those fish were over 8" a year later, so I know coppernose can grow that fast.

 

Another bit of evidence for their young age is how small their heads were compared to their bodies - I've never seen better proportion in this regard, and that of course is indication of a young, fast-growing fish.

 

I do often measure bluegill, but these were in such outstanding condition, and I had heard so much doom and gloom about how my region is supposedly at the upper limit of the range of the coppernose, and this pond is on the same property as the pond that has gotten wiped out by something or other in the past two months, that I didn't want to keep these fish out of the water a second longer than necessary, or handle them any more than necessary. 

 

Thanks for the affirmation!  I actually paid for the fish myself - this is one of several ponds I (perhaps foolishly) spend my own money on because I have agreements with the owners that allow me to offer guided trips on the ponds.  The fish aren't where I want them yet; the pond that got wiped out would have been there, or close, this year, but oh well...The owner does pay for the electric to run the aeration system on the pond, which is pretty key for this particular pond.

Comment by Leo Nguyen on April 15, 2012 at 10:18pm

Walt, did you manage to get a frontal/rear photo of these thing, or better yet, did measurements? These look like the possible 3rd to 4th year since a fry. A bit uncertain due to the lack of fanning tail degradation from spawning period. These coppernose would give our California coppernose a run for their money. Tell the pond owner a great he/she had invested in..and a great job on  your part to monitor that pond..just wow.

Comment by Walt Foreman on April 15, 2012 at 9:43pm

Coppernose are bluegill, Dick - they're just a subspecies, just as Florida-strain largemouth are a substrain of largemouth. 

 

Jeffrey, they actually spawned last year - I saw several on beds.  They haven't made beds yet this year but I expect them anytime. 

 

They were as muscular as any bluegill I've ever seen, Leo - I couldn't believe how thick they were.

Comment by dick tabbert on April 15, 2012 at 8:17pm

Looks like a Blue Gill to me but them I've never caught a Coppernose Gill before. Nice looking fish though.

Comment by Chris Salmon on April 15, 2012 at 7:40pm

fatty gill

Comment by Leo Nguyen on April 15, 2012 at 7:29pm

Excellent! Looks like that one has been feeding well, and look at the muscular structure on that thing.

Comment by dink dailey on April 15, 2012 at 6:52pm

that is a nice hog

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on April 15, 2012 at 6:05pm

The truth is in the pudding when you wet a line......Are these fish setting up for bedding in this pond? That would be another real good sign.....

Comment by Walt Foreman on April 15, 2012 at 6:02pm

They were beasts!  I had seen some good-sized ones at the feeder last fall, but then just in the past few days I noticed several brutes...The owner of the pond was getting discouraged about the watermeal which we've spent a small fortune combatting, and wasn't sure whether to believe my report on the big bluegill in the pond, so I suggested we fish it.  Now he believes me:)

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