I just got the 94 back issues of pond boss mags and read an article about gill netting carp out of a lake.

I have a 20 acre lake that has BG, Crappie, and Cats but is also loaded with carp. It will be several years until I can drain the pond and am waiting anxiously for that day but until than I would like to reduce the carp #'s significantly.

In the pond boss article it says they use 3.5 inch netting but were catching much larger carp. My carp are 1-3 lbs. What size of gill net should I use.

I am also thinking of dumping about 25-50 wipers every spring in my 1 acre pond and than transferring them in the fall to the 20 acre pond to help get rid of the carp. Would this be wasting money? (I would support them with feed as well)

The water is clear enough for BG and crappie to survive but not thrive. Do wipers need more visibility?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

NEDOC,

Not really sure what size gill net you would use to remove your carp, but these guys should be able to answer your questions, www.memphisnet.net.

I'm not an expert, but don't believe the hybrids will do much to your carp population, although they might help control your crappie.

You didn't mention having any bass, what does the crappie and bluegill community look like?

NEDOC -- a 1 pound carp is about 12-13 inches, while a 3 pound carp is probably about 18 inches.

A 2.5 inch (from knot to knot) gill net will really get those 18 inchers. To get those 13 inchers, you're going to have to drop to at least a 2 inch mesh. A 1.5 inch net is most effective on 10 inch up to about 13 inch carp.

I would hesitate to put such meshes in your pond. Gill nets can really be effective on many fishes, and you're going to catch quite a few of your crappies and catfish in these smaller mesh sizes. Most of the fish caught in a gill net will die. Just a thought.

Finally, do you need permission from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to use a gill net in a private water body? I don't know, but suggest that you check before buying/using.

Dave

Many people love to fish for and eat carp. You might find someone that would readily remove the fish for you.

Well, there is

carp.net
carp.com
carpuniverse.com

but they specialize in fishing one at a time. Carp are very strong fighters and fun to catch. Having enough predators should help with the hatch, they are not fast swimmers. During spawn in the spring, they wallow in shallow parts of the lake, with their backs breaking the surface. Should be fun to shoot them with bow and arrow. Sorry I can't help with catching them in mass. I have seen them survive for couple of days in shallow, muddy holes after the lake was drained. Night temps approached 0 Deg C