Can I get some info on golden shiners and their use in northern ponds?
thanks!!
First a disclaimer. I don't have a northern pond. I'm right in the middle so my observations might not apply. Also the thing I am most sure about GS is that I dont know much about them.
Having said that, I do have some observations.
I have a very high population of GS in my 1/20th acre forage pond. I put a dozen in there a couple years ago from a bait shop and they have went bonkers. They are thick with very small ones all the way to about 6.5". I have been catching the larger ones with a cast net and transferring them to my sediment pond and main pond. At the same time I put the dozen to stock this pond I put a dozen in my main 3 acre pond. In my main pond they have not really multiplied to any great degree. I did catch one once in a while and since I have transferred many from my forage pond to the main pond to try and get a stable population going. My main pond has LMB and to date there are only minimal GS in that pond. So absent predators they have multiplied tremendously in my forage pond but in my main pond with predators they are insignificant.
A couple other observations in my forage pond.
I also have RES for the purpose of raising RES fingerlings. Even though the GS are thick in this pond I took out several hundred 3" RES fingerlings from this 1/20th acre pond and still get some when I throw a cast net. So when I hear that GS are egg eaters, that has not been the case in my forage pond. Or if it is the case it was a good thing because I don't know how the pond could stand any more RES fingerlings because there are still a ton of them in there. So I guess I am not afraid of them eating RES eggs at least.
I have noticed the GS are chow hounds and cold water tolerant. They do like fish feed pellets and in fact they will be actively eating a few degrees colder temperature than what my BG in my main pond will. I hand feed daily so I notice these things.
I have FA, sometimes bad, in my main pond and sediment pond which are both right next to this forage pond with all the GS. The forage pond is very fertile and perhaps the algae bloom keeps the FA at bay but I have essentially no FA in this pond. I did not really think too much about that until I found out that GS are algae eaters. So are they the reason I have no FA in my forage pond? Or is it the algae bloom that keeps it down? Early in the year the water is clear before the bloom starts with FA in my other ponds but none in my forage pond. So I suspect the thick population of GS are keeping the FA down in this pond.
Those are my anecdotal observations. I know little about GS but those are my observations.