Corrective stocking update - 04/25/07 03:45 PM
After checking the pond this weekend I gotta tell everyone that might care - I am "stoked"!
Last year I was planning to rotenone and start over on my .25 ac pond, but after finding this forum and after much archive reading, and with input from the forum members I decided to try to manage the problem (a pond full of nothing but a few CC and 1000's and 1000's of stunted GSF).
I caught 10 LMB from several sources (1lb. - 2lb.) and approx. 80 adult BG (4"-8") and added them to the pond last June. I also added about 20 (2"-3") LMB and about 20 (2"-3") RES (left over from the Aquarium experiment - an update on that later) last October. My hope was to have the LMB reduce the 1000's of stunted GSF and have the BG spawn and provide good panfishing and bass forage.
I have been checking the pond all winter and spring with little evidence of any spawn from last year, or even much survival of the fish planted. Well, that all changed as of last Saturday. The pond is full of fish!!
I counted 5 (14"-15") LMB on beds around the edge and saw several more of that size cruising around. There were several 7"-8" LMB (some of the 4 released in March this year from the aquarium experiment) just hanging suspended just below the surface in the middle of the pond. There were several small bands of 4"-5" LMB attacking the schools of 1"-2" panfish that were literally in the 1000's all around the bank, especially in the blow down tree top on one side of the pond.
In addition and equally as exciting, there were dozens and dozens of adult sized BG (4" and up)visible all over the pond. Many were hanging out around the bank, many were hanging suspended a foot or so below the surface all out in the pond.
I sat in my deer stand over looking the pond for well over an hour watching the activity. Small bass herding and feeding on the schools of forage, larger bass cruising about, bedding bass chasing intruders from their nests, and lots of good sized BG moving around feeding on bugs and chasing each other around.
I can't tell you how excited I was at what appears (at this point anyway) to be a successful effort from last year. The prospect of soon being able to catch something out of this pond other than 2"-3" GSF is great. Just wanted to share with folks that, like me, love this kind of stuff.
Last year I was planning to rotenone and start over on my .25 ac pond, but after finding this forum and after much archive reading, and with input from the forum members I decided to try to manage the problem (a pond full of nothing but a few CC and 1000's and 1000's of stunted GSF).
I caught 10 LMB from several sources (1lb. - 2lb.) and approx. 80 adult BG (4"-8") and added them to the pond last June. I also added about 20 (2"-3") LMB and about 20 (2"-3") RES (left over from the Aquarium experiment - an update on that later) last October. My hope was to have the LMB reduce the 1000's of stunted GSF and have the BG spawn and provide good panfishing and bass forage.
I have been checking the pond all winter and spring with little evidence of any spawn from last year, or even much survival of the fish planted. Well, that all changed as of last Saturday. The pond is full of fish!!
I counted 5 (14"-15") LMB on beds around the edge and saw several more of that size cruising around. There were several 7"-8" LMB (some of the 4 released in March this year from the aquarium experiment) just hanging suspended just below the surface in the middle of the pond. There were several small bands of 4"-5" LMB attacking the schools of 1"-2" panfish that were literally in the 1000's all around the bank, especially in the blow down tree top on one side of the pond.
In addition and equally as exciting, there were dozens and dozens of adult sized BG (4" and up)visible all over the pond. Many were hanging out around the bank, many were hanging suspended a foot or so below the surface all out in the pond.
I sat in my deer stand over looking the pond for well over an hour watching the activity. Small bass herding and feeding on the schools of forage, larger bass cruising about, bedding bass chasing intruders from their nests, and lots of good sized BG moving around feeding on bugs and chasing each other around.
I can't tell you how excited I was at what appears (at this point anyway) to be a successful effort from last year. The prospect of soon being able to catch something out of this pond other than 2"-3" GSF is great. Just wanted to share with folks that, like me, love this kind of stuff.