Gambusia from SW Georgia (Grady County)

daveneely, no offense but how sure are of this ID?

You'll figure this out soon enough, but if Dave says this is fish "X", then turn out the light and lock the door son, 'cuz it IS fish "X" !

No offense taken, but I'm quite sure on this ID.

Cool.

The funny thing is that I've been preaching about stocking GSF instead of LMB and other lepomis in recreational ponds (see link above). The record GSF is 2.2 lbs and I've been suggesting that it would be good to manage for trophy sized Greenies. Given the similarities between the GSF and WM I'm hoping that the principle will translate well to a trophy WM pond. It's a bonus that WM can attain larger size, but are they as aggressive as GSF? The thought over at Pond Boss is that GSF will readily take pelleted food. Is that also likely with WM?

I'm at a bit of a disadvantage because I only moved to this area last year.

I'm very glad that I found and posted on this site before stocking.

Alright panel, then what's this?

Hey fish for brains,

How many of species of sunfish do you already have in these ponds! That's a green or has substantial, ahem, green parentage, although the pale fin margins aren't very well developed.

I don't know how well warmouth would take pellets, but would be surprised if they didn't. I can certainly ask around though...

cheers,
Dave

That is a warmouth also.
Edit: Dave says it is a green, so it probably is, though it does not look very "green" when compared to my local greens.

Cool.

The funny thing is that I've been preaching about stocking GSF instead of LMB and other lepomis in recreational ponds (see link above). The record GSF is 2.2 lbs and I've been suggesting that it would be good to manage for trophy sized Greenies. Given the similarities between the GSF and WM I'm hoping that the principle will translate well to a trophy WM pond. It's a bonus that WM can attain larger size, but are they as aggressive as GSF? The thought over at Pond Boss is that GSF will readily take pelleted food. Is that also likely with WM?

I'm at a bit of a disadvantage because I only moved to this area last year.

I'm very glad that I found and posted on this site before stocking.

Warmouth aren't aggressive at all, unless it's a nesting male. And as far as them eating pellets, mine already has, and I've only had it for a week. It started eating them the 3rd day I got it. When it comes to fishing, they bite almost anything, and they're good fighters. If there are other sunfish, like bluegill or redbreast, or any kind of catfish, then they normally get to worms before warmouth even know they're there.

daveneely, the pond in question suffered a fish kill last year, so I'm starting from scratch.

Skipjack, don't feel bad about calling that fish a WM. Here's the page I borrowed the image from: http://www.biosurvey...c/warmouth.html

The debate is just getting started at Pond Boss about this fish ID.

fishlvr, the fish, which I guess will be WM now, that will be stocked into this pond will be the apex predator. The goal is to manage the pond for huge (now) Warmouth. If they take pellets I doubt that they'll have to deal with hunger much.

Just make sure the warmouth get plenty of live food as well. Have you decided on a forage fish? Warmouth will eat just about anything thrown at them. I've went fishing in my creek, and as soon as the plastic bait hit the water, a warmouth took it. We also have LMB in the creek, but warmouth have totally outcompeted them. If you establish any kind of animal smaller than an adult (5" +) warmouth, then that pond will have some nice fish. Any type of small minnow will be good enough for them.

fishlvr, I have a fairly complete vision of this pond, except for the smaller species. So far my plan is simply to collect as many small local fish as possible and see what thrives, or at least survives with the WM. The problem is that I don't know if I can wait long enough before stocking the Warmouth to give the smaller fish time to establish. This isn't my pond and I think the owner would like to see something catchable stocked soon.

if you find a commercial outfit willing to supply you with warmouth fingerling's (in the hundreds or thousands) please pass that info on, I have a client with a small farm pond who was interested in stocking with warmouth, he went with green/bluegill hybrids, but he was told to drain and restock the pond every 5-7 years so perhaps next go round he will try warmouth.

hmt321, I doubt there's much chance of finding Warmouth from a hatchery. I checked around when I was looking for GS and all I got was more people telling me not to stock them. So far I haven't found anyone who is managing a pond for GSF and I assume it's the same with regards to WM. In fact, if anyone knows of someone raising GSF or WM as the target species please let me know.

I find it interesting that everyone warns about stunting. Clearly LMB or just about any other fertile fish will overpopulate without an effort to manage them.

I can get you warmouth, but I can only get a few adults, not fingerlings and definately not in the hundreds. I could probably get some adult males and females this weekend, which could be stocked in the pond to breed, and before too long there would be plenty of warmouth.

Thanks fishlvr. My plan is to fish for adults from my neighbors other pond. He's an old timer and I think he'd like that idea best and I get an excuse to fish. What I might try to get from other people are the small indigenous fish that I can't get with rod and reel.

daveneely, no offense but how sure are of this ID?

Since you brought up Warmouth I'm doing comparisons between them and GSF. Can you offer any major differences?

I guess I should move this to a more appropriate thread since the subject has changed.

On a large green sunfish this size you would see the two bold dorsal and anal fin spots (black) "on trailing edge of each fin in question". This one lacks that. Looks like a warmouth without to much color to me.

hey Fish for Brains...

If your goal is to manage for native fishes, and your pond is in Grady Co., GA, why do you want green sunfish? They are not native to either of the major drainages in the county (don't have records from the Ochlockonee, and I hope you wouldn't try to introduce them from the adjacent Appalachicola, where they are introduced and have become fairly common). On the other hand, warmouth are native and reach a slightly larger maximum adult size.

daveneely, I have to admit to being always skeptical of any information, from any source, especially the internet. Again, nothing personal but could you possibly direct me to some sources to verify the native status of WM in my area? I would also appreciate one that showed the GSF natural range. I just need to double check before I stock an empty pond. One time I had a map of the Florida WM distribution that seemed to agree with your assessment but I can't find it now.

Thanks.

daveneely: I'm sorry if I came across like an ass. I'm really more of a nerd, an obsessive, well intentioned nerd. Since my last post I've caught 3 WM from my neighbors pond and no Green Sunfish. This alone doesn't indicate an indigenous status for WM because this pond has been stocked, but it seems more likely that the parents of these WM came from local waters.

At this point I'm going ahead with WM as the largest species in this pond.

Thanks, ffb.