Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Will a bass heavy pond 'naturally' balance?

My half-acre pond is bass heavy. When I fish it, I remove all the 10 inch and smaller LMB that I land. Unfortunately I have been in Iraq for the past year and looks I won't be coming home until August of 2010. That means I can fish my pond only once or twice a year on while home on R&R which isn't enough time to remove the small bass.

I never do any feeding or fertizing and no one else fishes the pond. It is located in a rural, undeveloped spot so predators like herons are undisturbed. The max. depth will vary in a year, with rainfall/runoff, from 7 to 10 ft. I've never experienced winter kill or anything like that.

I am wondering what happens over time in a bass heavy pond when there isn't enough fishing pressure to manage the LMB/BG ratio. Some of the BG are hybrid and others are regular. Will the pond eventually reach an equilibrium? Or will it continue to fill will small bass until there is a dieoff?

First whether you are there as a civilian or in the Military, Thanks for your service! You ARE appreciated!

While I'm by no means an expert on the dynamics of fish populations, I believe it will balance with increasing numbers of stunted fish--constantly becoming smaller and smaller. From what I recall, you may want to cull bass 15 inches and under along with all the small bream. You may need to use a seine or cast net at this point.

I'm sure you could find more than a few trustworthy people here willing to help with the culling if you like.

I have no doubt you'll get several answers from those much more knowledgable than me to offer more advice.

In the meantime, stay safe!

It will not lead to a dieoff the overall pounds will be basically the same just more pounds will be in bass than in bluegill if left alone. It will go towards lots of skinny bass. You are doing the right thing by taking out when you can if your goal is larger bass. If goal is large bream then you will have that upon return. Not the hardest thing in the world to remove enough bass in a half acre pond. If you fish right time of year you might be able to remove 10-15 lbs with a couple days of fishing. This might be enough to keep it in balance.

Well if your short on time you could get a large trow net an 8ft isnt that hard to learn how to throw and can get the job done fast. Wish you were closer id do it for ya.

WB cast net is not very effective for catching bass they are too fast.

I STILL haven't figured out how to throw mine........ (5' radius)

Well i have a 13fter=26 open and an 8 16 open they catch anything in fresh water in 6 foot or less even more with the 13. But i have caught white bass in 30ft of water with the 8fter trying for shad on the sonar.

Usually such a pond will not result in a balanced pond. It will either end up LMB crowded or BG crowded (stunted). In extreme situations it may end up a LMB only pond or a BG only pond. Some ponds are more apt to stay near balance than others so it really depends. Any outside influence (fishing , seining , trapping etc ) will have a result on that status. There are many variables to consider so results are hard to generalize about. The good news is small ponds are easy to turn around through population adjustments.

I need help how can o sifiene one pond into.the other
I want to save the one I.got .the only power I got is my truck battery. I hope there. Is a method using a waterhose. Please advise

yes, take the hose and sink it in the pond. do it carefully so that there is no air left in the hose. Then you need to plug the end of it so the water will not run out while quickly getting the end of the hose below the water level.

It helps to have a hose that is just long enough. Too long makes it more difficult to sink. Alsowhen youre done, put the end of the hose in a bucket in the pond, it will keep it off the bottom and in the muck.

I can't resist mentioning this. We do some of our teaching with "case studies." That has a specific meaning -- we give them background information, let the students work in groups, and then come back to the whole to discuss their rationale for the answer to the question. Anyway, guess what? I wrote a case asking the same question that the Commish asked at the start of this thread!

What was their reply ?

The replies vary from time to time. In this case, I gave them the data set from a pond in which we had a four-year removal of smaller bass by electrofishing, which restructured the LMB size structure to bigger fish due to faster growth. Then, we asked what happened after that (no more removals)? Did the size structure remain good (large LMB eat the small ones and keep them thinned and growing fast) or does size structure revert back to high density, slow growing, small fish? I would say that a slight majority of student groups over the years have chosen revert to original problem. However, it is not too different from 50-50. By the way, for inquiring minds, in this sample size of one SD pond, the population did revert back to high density, small fish. If anyone wants to see the student and instructor versions of this case, just send me an email and I can send the PDF files. It's a fun exercise.

If I was your student I would have turned in a one page document. In the middle of the page, centered both vertically and horizontally, I would have the following phrase...

"It all depends."

I expect I would have aced your course.

I would say as far as The Commissioners pond with no care the bass were over pop and stunted you put them back in there right numbers for good heathly growth then leave them alone for years and they will revert back to stunted shats. Class dismissed!

JHAP -- I would have to give you FULL credit, but if and only if you explain your train of thought.

JHAPS train of thought GSF GSF GSF GSF.......... There you go. Just kidding JHAP!