Pond Boss
Posted By: squeeky Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/05/19 08:47 PM
I have 1/4 acre pond that I hoped to use as a forage pond. Some years ago, I rotenoned the pond when a summer drought had reduced it to about half of its full size. I made the mistake of buying cnbg from a fish truck for restocking. Now, trap samplings is showing about 80 to 90% green sunfish. Two years ago, the sampling showed about 60% greenies. I thought greenies only spawned once per year - why such a big disproportional difference ? Anyway, I threw 3 fairly sizable bass in the pond in the the hope that they will eventually spawn and ultimately eat everything in there - (there's a 75% change of a mixed gender pair in the 3 bass). This was probably a crazy idea, but I don't have an easy solution for the problem. Any thoughts ?
Posted By: teehjaeh57 Re: Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/05/19 10:03 PM
What are you trying to achieve? Eliminate the GSF and create a BG only forage pond? If your goals are a 100% pure BG forage pond I would drain, seine and save any BG, and nuke remaining water with hydrated lime, refill, and restock with remaining BG buy more if necessary. If this is a forage pond, not sure why presence of GSF are a concern, as predator fish aren't picky regarding lepomis species as forage. wink Clarify your goals and will share some thoughts.
Posted By: Cole B. Re: Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/06/19 04:18 AM
The CNBG will outspawn the GSF, but in a predator free pond the bigger mouth and increased aggressiveness of GSF allow them to dominate under most conditions. They eat the smallest baby bluegill preventing them from become large spawning bluegill. They can also survive and thrive under much worse water conditions. However with a predator like LMB, small bass compete with GSF and big bass eat them, and they are a bit easier to swallow than BG. Combined with their once annual reproduction rate, they just simply cannot reproduce enough to handle the predation pressure that BG can, and even a 12” bass can eat adult GSF. Whether or not your bass reproduce successfully with have a big influence on what happens next, but if they do reproduce you eventually won’t have much of a forage pond left but I truly doubt they will completely clean out all the fish that size.
Posted By: Mike Whatley Re: Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/06/19 11:48 AM
Squeaky, my pond is a mix of everything and until recently only had 3 LMB in it. I just added a fourth because so far they havent been able to pull off a spawn. If you're wanting a forage pond, I'm not understanding where the issue with GSF lies. They are very good forage, tho as stated previously, need a predator to keep them in check. Otherwise, they are the big dog in the yard and will rule out.
Posted By: squeeky Re: Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/07/19 07:57 PM
Yes, I do understand that green sunfish are good forage for bass. But, I didn't want to get greens established in other ponds that I have. I had hoped to raise cnbg to a reasonable size, and then move them to other ponds where they can reproduce and ultimately provide more forage and other fishing opportunities. Now, i'm just using the bluegill from the traps as bait when I fish - bass love them. Greens would probably be even better, but the then again, they could be a problem if they get loose. Incidentally, I do have a pond that I intentionally stocked with greens and bass - moved maybe a 1000 small greens and 200 bluegill to the pond last year.
Posted By: teehjaeh57 Re: Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/09/19 05:01 AM
Sorry I still don't understand your goals or your specific questions...want to help, but I need a nudge in the right direction.
Posted By: snrub Re: Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/09/19 05:42 AM
In my opinion, if a fish trap is your only sampling method, you will catch a disproportionate number of GSF.

BG will go into a baited trap fair, RES more by accident, but GSF are chow hounds when it comes to baited traps.

As an example, I have a 1/20th acre forage pond stocked with RES to raise fingerlings for stocking other ponds. Some GSF got introduced and multiplied, (as well as produce many hybrids). I trapped hundreds and hundreds of hybrids and GSF fingerlings out of that pond with about a 10 to 1 ratio of them compared to RES. But throw a cast net near dusk and I would get 95% RES. If I had only been using a fish minnow trap as my sampling device, I would have thought I had a pond full of GSF. But in reality the GSF were a minority and I could knock their populations down significantly in a few weeks trapping, to the point I could ha4dly catch any.

BG will go in baited traps much better than RES. But neither will trap as easily as GSF.

Try a cast net or seine. You might be surprised at the number of BG.
Posted By: NEDOC Re: Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/09/19 03:14 PM
Originally Posted By: snrub
In my opinion, if a fish trap is your only sampling method, you will catch a disproportionate number of GSF.

BG will go into a baited trap fair, RES more by accident, but GSF are chow hounds when it comes to baited traps.

As an example, I have a 1/20th acre forage pond stocked with RES to raise fingerlings for stocking other ponds. Some GSF got introduced and multiplied, (as well as produce many hybrids). I trapped hundreds and hundreds of hybrids and GSF fingerlings out of that pond with about a 10 to 1 ratio of them compared to RES. But throw a cast net near dusk and I would get 95% RES. If I had only been using a fish minnow trap as my sampling device, I would have thought I had a pond full of GSF. But in reality the GSF were a minority and I could knock their populations down significantly in a few weeks trapping, to the point I could ha4dly catch any.

BG will go in baited traps much better than RES. But neither will trap as easily as GSF.

Try a cast net or seine. You might be surprised at the number of BG.


Very interesting and useful information. Thanks snrub.
Posted By: BrianL Re: Green sunfish overtake forage pond - 07/10/19 08:26 PM
I would suggest buying a seine net and pull it thru several times releasing the BG and keep all GSF. You will get head of them. If you want to fish with them cut their fins before putting on the hook. So even if they get off they won't be able to swim well enough to escape.
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