Bluegills - Herman Brothers Lake and Land Management

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BY
Bold and beautiful aptly describes crosses between green sunfish and bluegill.
Aggressive by nature, fast growing, and less prone to overpopulate, this hybrid provides a valuable fishery management tool in certain settings. And they often account for the largest “bream”
in pond fisheries. ¶ Hybridization of different sunfish species is relatively common in nature. Bluegills, pumpkinseeds, redears, warmouths, green sunfish, and other species are biologically capable
of mating with each other. This typically occurs when a fishery contains limited spawning grounds,
which are utilized by a larger population of one sunfish species and a small number of another.
STEVE RYAN*
which can be controlled with limited stocking of bass
or catfish. Hybrids don’t produce enough offspring to
feed trophy bass, but they can yield a respectable fishery for both species.
Herman notes that he only stocks hybrids in lakes
with artificial feeding programs and suggests supplemental stocking of hybrids every 2 to 4 years, depending
on how many fish are harvested. “We can grow them
at much higher densities than other panfish,” he says.
“Typical stocking density for hybrids in lakes without
supplemental feeding is 100 per acre. With intensive
feeding, as many as 2,000 hybrids can be stocked per
acre. This means incredible fishing for children, new
anglers, and anyone desiring high catch rates.”
Growth rates of hybrid bluegill are difficult to
define. Studies have reported conflicting results
regarding the growth rates of hybrids versus pure
bluegills. Various environmental factors, including the
CROSSBREED
Bream
It’s also seen in altered habitats and where one species
is stocked into the native range of another. Depending
on the sex and species of each parent, various dominant
traits appear in the offspring.
Pond researchers have determined that the most
desirable hybrid bluegill results from breeding a male
bluegill with a female green sunfish. In southern locations, coppernose bluegills and their crosses have additional appeal. Unlike other hybrid fish such as tiger
muskies and hybrid stripers, hybrid bluegills aren’t sterile. Sterility can be seen as a positive trait since population size can be controlled. When hybrid bluegills
mate, limited numbers of second-generation offspring
(F2) lack uniformity and grow more slowly. For this reason, hybrids generally are not stocked in fisheries with
an existing population of other sunfish species, which
would facilitate greater reproduction.
Hybrid Vigor
When hybrids are stocked, you get a fish with hybrid
vigor, technically, heterosis. This term refers to the promotion of positive genetic
characteristics of the
parental species and the
suppression of less desirable traits. Physically,
hybrid bluegills resemble a super-sized green
sunfish, with a large
mouth and a thicker,
more rou nded body.
The aggressive nature of
green sunfish becomes
magnified in hybrids,
making them a formidable presence in ponds.
Hybrids benefit from their bluegill lineage with
increased size potential and a blending of color patterns. They show some of most striking color patterns
of any sunfish. Turquoise blue war-paint markings surround their eyes, jaws, and gill plates. Flecks of blue can
also adorn their sides. Fins and tail often are outlined in
bright yellow, along with a mixture of patterns not found
in either parent.
Hybrid bluegills are brilliantly colored fish with attitude and the ability to dominate a fishery. Their aggressive nature cannot be disputed, making them fun for any
panfish angler and a great fish to start kids on.
Nate Herman, of Herman Brothers Lake Management Company in Peoria, Illinois, explains, “Basically
they eat anything they can fit in their oversized mouth.
This is beneficial in promoting growth rates during their
first season. It also means they out-compete other fish
species for food, including gamefish like bass. That characteristic and their low reproduction rate means they
should not be stocked in fisheries where growing trophy bass is a goal. Since first-generation (F1) hybrids are
85 to 95 percent male, there
are fewer opportunities
for them to reproduce.
There aren’t enough offspring to feed the bass
population.”
On the other hand,
t h e i r low r e pr o ductive rate also is a benefit. Unlike other sunfish
species that are prone
to overpopulating small
waters and becoming
stunted, hybrids produc e f e w of f s pr i n g ,
NOT
Your
Grandpa’s
SUNFISH!
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›Stocking Options
While the standard bluegill X green sunfish cross is the most commercially available hybrid, fish growers claim that not all hybrid bluegills are equal. Larry
Brown has been managing Fountain Bluff Fish Farm (618/763-4387) in Gorham, Illinois, for over 40 years and notes that having superior parental broodstock is essential
in raising the best hybrid ‘gills. Any genetic impurity can reduce quality. So the goal of
hatcheries is to obtain and maintain superior genetics in their fish.
Overton Fisheries (903/322-2626) in Buffalo, Texas, echoes this sentiment in its
pursuit to grow the best coppernose bluegills. Although coppernose are not a hybrid,
Overton stresses the importance of selective breeding to obtain preferred genetic
traits for a specific region of the country. They’ve raised the Overton Strain Coppernose as a genetically pure fish that thrives in the warm climates of the deep south.
While these fish routinely reach 1 to 2 pounds and may outgrow redears or hybrids in
southern locations, they’re not suited for cooler climates.
J.M. Malone and Son (501/676-0207) of Lonoke, Arkansas, has been one of the
nation’s largest suppliers of fish for more than a half century and offers several hybrid
bluegill variations, including crosses of male redear sunfish with female green sunfish, and male coppernose bluegills with female green sunfish. They have not observed
superior growth rates when substituting redears or coppernose for pure bluegills in
this breeding process. But slight variations in characteristics among these crosses
can make one more suitable for a particular setting. For example, the offspring of
hybrids and redear sunfish may have the feeding characteristics of redears, favoring
snails and crustaceans over floating pellets. Crosses of redears and coppernose bluegills take on the temperature tolerances of parental species, thriving in warm climates,
perishing in cold ones.
To locate a fish dealer in your area, consult with a local lake management company or contact your state’s department of natural resources for a complete list of
licensed dealers.
hybrid’s ability to outcompete other
fish for food, were not accounted for
in some lab studies and they have
an obvious effect on the growth rate
of fish in wilder settings.
Literature from commercial
hatcheries on hybrids report growth
rates of 1/2 to 3/4 pounds per year
and a top-end size of 2 to 3 pounds,
and exceptional fish to 5 pounds.
These results would clearly outpace true bluegills that rarely reach
2 pounds, as well as green sunfish
that top out at about 3/4 pound. In
states with both hybrid bluegills
and pure bluegills, true bluegills
typically outweigh hybrids in the
record books, however.
Herman explains, “Hybrids can
grow fast for their first two years,
but then growth slows dramatically. Without artificial feeding,
they rarely exceed 3/4 pound. With
a shorter life span than pure bluegills, 1-pound hybrids are trophies
and 2-pounders are close to state
records.”
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According to Herman, hybrid
bluegills are the easiest of all
hybrid fish species to produce
and are well suited to small ponds
where overpopulation and stunting of traditional sunfish species is
a concern. “Stock 40 female green
sunfish and 40 male bluegills per
acre in a newly established pond
with ample food and harvest the
offspring as F1 hybrids; no labwork
or hormones needed,” he notes. “F1
hybrids have consistent and uniform traits reflective of the dominant genes of their parents. In the
second generation (F2) mating, offspring lack uniformity so they’re
less desirable. We have management strategies, such as supplemental stocking of bass or catfish,
to combat this problem.”
For a self-described fish geek
like Herman, the process of breeding and stocking hybrids couldn’t
be easier. For the rest of us, encounters with hybrid bluegills are likely
the result of fishing lakes previously
stocked with hybrids or hiring a
fishery management company to
stock them in a private pond or lake.
Hybrids are occasionally stocked in
lakes with existing sunfish species,
contradicting the advice of most fishery experts. This allows both species
to be caught from the same fishery.
In these settings, hybrids tend to add
extra excitement when encountered
but have the potential negative effect
of cross-breeding and outcompeting
other fish for food.
T he d i f fer e nce i n fe e d i ng
between bluegills and hybrids suggests where and how to fish for
each. Bluegills are foragers, adept
at cruising the bottom in search of
food. They peck and eat any morsel
emerging from the bottom. Small,
natural presentations are often best
to fool trophy bluegills.
In contrast, hybrids are hunters. Tactics for catching them more
closely resemble those for catching bass. Instead of presenting tiny
offerings close to the bottom, larger
baits should be worked near cover
and midway in the water column.
The predatory nature of hybrids
means they’re more prevalent in
shallow water, close to cover. Fish
submerged trees positioned perpendicular to the shoreline, as
well as any other objects that provide overhead cover in 2 to 5 feet of
water. Hybrids wait in ambush and
pounce on almost anything that
ventures into their territory.
but is instead for the shear entertainment of catching big panfish.
Bringing together a few ultralight
rod-and-reel combos, a handful of
small lures, and a pond of ravenous
hybrids means bent rods, screaming drags, and smiling faces for
anglers of all ages. ■
*Steve Ryan, Des Plaines, Illinois, is an
In-Fisherman Field Editor. He seeks fish
of all sizes and descriptions.
Lure Options
Unlike bluegills, hybrids don’t
slowly approach a bait and hover
in front of it, prior to sucking it in.
They charge over and smash it. This
makes small in-line spinners, like
a #2 Mepps Aglia, ideal as search
lures. Rebel and Yo-Zuri also offer
a variety of miniature minnowbaits
and cranks that hybrids can’t resist.
To f i sh t h ic k cover wher e
hybrids lurk, snag-resistant lures
like the Terminator S-1 Spinnerbait excel. When you find a pack
of 1-pound-plus hybrids, there’s no
getting a lure away from them. Like
a pack of piranha, they chase the
lure to the boat, smacking the flashing blades or nipping the skirt until
one finds the hook.
Other options include softbaits
presented midway in the water column. A 5-inch Senko fished wackystyle has the right size, action, and
snag resistance to be fished anywhere hybrids are found. Hybrids
whittle these baits down from both
ends until there’s nothing left. A
2- or 3-inch grub on a 1/16- to 1/8ounce jig makes for a faster presentation. The more action the
better since hybrids are attracted
to erratic motions. Storm’s 3-inch
Wi ldEye Live M i n now sw i mbait is another great choice for big
hybrids. Fish swimbaits at any
water depth and fish attack them
with abandon. For hybrids, baits
moving in the water column work
better than slower and deeper bass
tactics like drop-shot rigs, shakyhead jigs, or ­Carolina rigs.
In ponds where hybrids are
maintained on a feeding regimen of
high-protein floating pellets, small
poppers elicit topwater strikes from
greedy hybrids. In such settings,
catching hybrids has nothing to
do with testing your fishing skills
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