Hi all;
Been a while since I've posted, brief update of what's going on in my little world. One acre pond,eleven feet deep, NY state.
Had to drain my pond and start all over again due to a self-inflicted bullhead infestation. I've decided I want to concentrate on raising nice big fat perch. I did this last time but my channel cats got big and ate the young and they fizzeled out. This time I'd like to only raise perch. I will be feeding them all they want and will start things off with stocking fatheads, daphnia, snails and clams. I guess my main questions are;
I have read that it's hard to raise only one specie in a pond and I am worried about ending up with a pond full of small perch. What do I do to avoid this?
I had problems with duckweed and watermeal and expect it to return. Would aquashade or another dye help to keep this from returning and what would be the negative effects of dye in the water. Right now the pond has nothing in it except some trapdoor snails.
Open to comments, opinions, advice
Tyler

The dye will do no good for those plants. It works by reducing sunlight to the plants, and as you know, they float.

With no predators, you will have to fill that role. Perch will stunt because of overpopulation, so you and a fishing rod will have to keep them in check.

Hi Tyler,

Bill Cody wrote a great series on Perch several years ago. It detailed his work and success with just perch. After reading it several times, one of his biggest points is get feed trained YP. If you PM Bill, (I am speaking way out of bounds here) maybe he would send you copies of the articles. He also details fish that co-exist with perch specifically if perch is your target fish. Even thoug perch are only part of my future fishery, the article really helped in the planning of my pond

good luck

Grasshoppa you have to think out of the box. As Kurt said it is possible to raise perch to large size without a predato as Bill Cody does. Other than using feed trained perch that are primarily females and periodically stocking new ones, Bill also removes all the perch eggs he sees and he has a slot limit. Bill?

Here is a picture of some perch his guest is holding out of Bill's 3/4 acre pond. I hope you don't mind me posting this picture Bill.

Impressive thing is, any of the fish would be a personal best for 99% of the fisherman out there!

Yeah I posted that on a fishing site and everyone wanted to know where it was. If Bill wasn't a good friend I could have had some fun with that.

Believe it or not, those fish are the harvestable, keeper slot size perch. All larger perch are released for continued growth. Some days it is a challenge to catch the keeper sized fish. In addition to mannual thinning of eggs and YOY perch, I have a few walleye/saugeye in the pond to help reduce the 3"-7" perch.

How long before you break the 20" mark? Mind blowing!

Bill how long ago did you stock the walleye/sauger? You haven't stocked any in a while have you?

Now mind you, I'm not complaining in the least.

Every time I start to get close to the sides of the box, you guys keep making it bigger!

It's a big box but you're learning fast. Sadly some state DNR's have never been out of the box and refuse to do so. Ours still thinks growing big bluegills is simply a matter of thinning them out. Never mind the latest research. Hence why they refuse to drop have a limit on bluegill in my state. Some anglers absolutely rape them off the beds removing every last one of them in the hundreds. Then they give them away to people that don't buy a fishing license.

Wow, this is getting lively!Thanks for all the responses.
I had planned to remove excessive yoy by using minnow traps and destroying eggs. The perch I had in my pond before draining were perchased from Zetts in Pa. and did grow to the size in the picture. They had no problems eating pellets.
I doubt I could purchase mostly female perch from Zetts, is there anywhere else within a couple hundred miles that would have them for sale? Thanks again

Schultz's Fish Hatchery has perch!
http://www.buybass.com/yellow_perch.html

The lit says they'll probably exceed 17 inches?

"Because this is our new breed of yellow perch we do not yet know its maximum growth, however there are indications that it will grow to over 17 inches."

Sounds like wishful thinking.....

The YP that Cecil and I grow normally top out at 15"-16". We are trying hard to grow that elusive 17"er.

Seems like I'm a long ways behind you, but add me to the list of trying to bust the 17" mark! Now, if I can just break 13" this Spring I'll be elated!

Just to be clear I have no doubt Kevin has an outstanding operation and outstanding quality fish, but I'm skeptical as I think there are only two, maybe three, documented yellow perch 17 inches or over in the record books. There are not many even over 16 inches.

You shouldn't have any problems eventually getting them over 14 inches if they are well fed. You will probably have some 15 inch fish. However for some reason that 16 inch barrier is almost impossible to break.

On a couple of fishing sites a friend and I hear of fish 16 inches or over, but for some curious reason when we ask for a picture or proof it never materializes.

Cecil should write a book, "The History of Trophy Yellow Perch". Seriously, he knows more about trophy YP than anyone!

Agreed - get to typin' Cecil! Considering one book sold now!

Actually as far as statistics and history my friend in Michigan, Doug Seibert is the man. As I may have related here previously, he is a trophy perch aficionado and had thoroughly researched where and when all the records were taken. Also whenever he hears of a monster perch caught in Michigan he goes to check it out whether it be an angler, or it's mounted on some bar room wall halfway across the state. He tells me more often then not the perch are not as big as stated.

Here's some info he gave me recently which I posted in another thread in case you missed it: Keep in mind the "chest pounding liars" he is referring to are anglers on the fishing sites that make grandiose claims but can never prove them with a photo. It seems they never have the camera when needed, but they do at other times.


Hi Cecil,
I'm always fascinated with giant perch information so I spent some time doing some more internet research. It also provides me with some facts to counter the BS claims of some incredibly large perch (For which there is no proof.)
The elite states who have record perch 3 lbs or heavier are:
1) New Jersey...historical world record.....4 bs 3 oz
No length recorded. Caught in 1865
2) Michigan.....3 lbs 12 oz.....21"...caught in 1947
3) New York....3 lbs 8 oz....no length....caught in1982
4) Maryland.....3 lbs 5 oz....16 1/4"......caught in 2006
5) South Carlolina...3 lbs 4 oz...16 1/2"...caught on 1979
6) Wisconsin....3 lbs 4 oz....no length....caught in 1952.

It's noteworthy that the Michigan record perch is the single recorded perch in any state that was over 17" long. So when one of the chest pounding liars claims someone caught an 18"+ perch I think I'll mention these stats.(LOL) Even the 3lb+ record perch were under 17" long. There's no question that your pond monster would have surpassed the magical 3 lb mark if it had been caught when full of eggs. Here's a very interesting photo of the Maryland record perch.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/recreational/tournament/staterecords/ypstrecfrshwtr.html

The interesting story of that MD record perch was it was a fluke... It was the only perch stocked into that pond and was caught several years later... No competition from other YP and the right conditions and wham!

Just wanted to know if you fixed you pond yet?

Which one of us are you talking about?

Hi MR
I don't know who you're addressing either but was going to update what's been going on with my pond.
Drained it last fall's and got rid of the billions of bullheads. Wasn't near as much sediment built up in the bottom as I was expecting. Put several tons of no.2 stone in a pit so the small, seasonal brook comming out of my swamp had to run through it before entering my pond. The pond was empty for a couple weeks and then, with some unusually wet weather, filled up in about a month's time and has been nearly full ever since.
I had some watermeal and duckweed that survived on the bank but, even though it is still alive in the pond, it is not growing at all. Last year at this point, I would have already had to skim the surface a couple of times by now to clean it out. Now the plants just sit in small pockets around the ponds edge and appear to be dormant. I haven't fertilized or added any lime for fear that one of them will cause my weed problems to return. I would like to add some lime because my ph is a little off but I'm fearfull.
I would love to hear some opinions on why my dw and wm are not flourishing and what changes made the difference.
Got the fatheads going first thing this spring and the snails and clams are doing their thing. Zetts won't have any perch for another week or so and my plan is to put in 500 prch, 100 bg's and probably 20 cc to keep the weeds and algea in check ( ponds about 3/4 acre, 11ft deep). Any and all comments welcome.
Tyler

Don't realistically expect the CC to keep weeds and algae in check. Won't happen. If it does a lot of us want to know about it. BE careful what you believe from Zetts' literature.

No kidding. I have never heard of this place before, but what are these fish they are offering. Nothing but slang common names. Bull minnow? Is that a banded killifish? I am almost embarrassed for them. Silver shiner, is that N. photogenis If so they surely don't grow to twelve inches. This is laughable.

Yes, the bull minnow which is another common name for the banded killifish, Fundulus diaphanus. Silver shiner is actually the common name, golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas. Zett's does like to come up with creative names for their fish...

Zetts has come up several times in this thread, and others.

I don't know the Zetts family very well, but I've bought a lot of fish from them over many years.

I do know that Andrew Zetts, and extended family, are very sincere and hardworking people. I love what they do.

Even with their issues, the Zetts are certainly one of the best and most important pond suppliers in the mid-Atlantic area.

They provide fishing enjoyment to thousands in their many ponds, and they provide fun and educational summer employment to many local youngsters.

I have no connection to them, except as a customer.

Nobody is perfect. As an old friend says, everybody fits under the bell curve until you get to know them.

Yes, sometimes "creative" does describe them, and their catalog is fun to read.

Unfortunately, when real estate prices come back, we will lose Zetts. We almost lost them a few years ago, and thankfully for the mid-Atlantic pond owners, real estate crashed.

I don't know of any supplier within several hundred miles who can easily replace them. Our only alternative will be the fish trucks from a long-long ways away.

Anyone who has a chance to visit Zetts would have an enjoyable day. I hope Mr and Mrs Zetts will advertise here one day, and that they will stay in business as long as I have a pond (they are my age).

Ken

I have bought fish from them in the past and they have always been very healthy. A few times I have found other species mixed in with FHM, but not many. Overall, I would and will buy from them again. Ken is right, the fish farm market in the Mid-Atlantic states is slim pickins at best...

The only other options I have found:
http://www.midatlanticstocking.com/
http://agmap.psu.edu/Businesses/3075
http://www.delmarvaaquatics.com/

Other than those, it way up to PA or down to NC or out west or waiting for the Fish Wagon. Or, as I have done pay crazy fees for shipping fish via UPS or FedEx.

Check out Fenders Fish Hatchery in SE OH - fendersfishhatchery.com. They deliver to WVA & KY. They farm about 230 acres of water and have larger fish including trout and larger RES (up to 9") in the fall. They are also good people and reputable.

Thanks Bill for another option... Do you know if they raise their own RES or import them?

I have to agree with Bill 100%. Good people and they know what they are talking about!!!

Fenders raises almost all, if not all their RES. Some of the larger ones are only avilable in late fall when they drain their larger ponds.