Post By: Helios970 Posted: 7/13/2013 9:18:34 AMPoints: 917
The other day I posted a thread asking to ID a large sunfish I caught. Thanks to all that replied. The opinions seemed to lean toward green sunfish. So I was inspired to go see if I could find any decent size close to home. I went out in the mid day heat yesterday and did great. Nothing really to brag about for size just a lot of fun. Greenies on light tackle. It's kinda like plinking a tin can with a .22 short, just plain fun! I did get 1 almost MA. 9.5" lol And a couple 2fers. All returned safely.
I've been having a hard time finding bass in FoCo for a week or two so it was nice to get a fish every few casts. Just thought I'd share a fun day!
Reply by: luckhappens Posted: 7/15/2013 10:33:55 AM Points: 378
Nice sunfish in the 2nd shot! I love going here and doing the same, can't beat it on UL I agree!
Have you ever pulled any bass out of that back pond (the bigger one)? I've only been able to pull bass out of the smaller one by the parking lot, gotten the big skunk bass wise on my 3 trips to the back pond... Just curious if they even exist there (wouldn't be too surprising if their just eluding me, just curious)
Reply by: agt Posted: 7/15/2013 11:34:51 AM Points: 70
luckhappens, I was talking with someone a few years ago who looked at the stocking reports of the back pond and even talked to the DOW about. He said no bass were caught. However, about 5 years ago I walked there and saw a man holding easily a 5 lb. bass (I'm not exaggerating it was easily 22"). When I asked where he caught it, he pointed vaguely at the big pond and said "over there". So there are bass in that pond, but very limited
According to DOW stocking and years of fishing those ponds there should be no bass in the back pond. If there is then its because of bucket biology. The back pond is stocked with panfish and catfish. Have pulled some huge snapping turtles out of there also. In the last year or 2 the pressure on the first lake has gotten out of control. I have even seen people out there cast netting... though the bluegill population is thriving.
Good to know, I appreciate the info guys. I will put in my 2cents that I have caught a few perch out of the back, although nothing a size (technically a panfish I know, just thought I'd throw the species out there). It's too bad it closes up at night, I'd imagine there's some decent cats in there if they were stocked and have that population of sunnies all to themselves.
I agree that cats should be of good size if there were some. I got my info from the colorado fishing atlas and i'll admit that it looks to be a couple years out of date (some of the natural area names have changed recently and are not reflected there). It did say there were crappie in there but i've fished it pretty regularly, being close to home and i've not seen or even heard of one coming out of there. Cats and bass were not listed. If there are some i would say not many. Bucket bio i'm sure :(
