Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Kentucky Lake Survey

What do y’all think of this assessment on this electrofishing survey? Of course there are details about the lake that the video doesn’t show but they do show a net full of fish they shocked up that gives you a good idea on the status of the fishery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEum-DHh1F4

ok this is a bump. I do not want to give away the verdict. I will just say this it got my blood boiling and could see why matt wanted me to see it. Check it out please and comment.

I have a friend that has a 5 acre pond here in town that the exact same thing has happened to. We were catching quality fis there until a devolpment of apartments went in close to the pond. It went downhill in about 2 years. Sad.

I didn't see any small BG in the net.....

Is that a sign that the bass are eating them or....

You're getting warmer!

So the larger bass are being removed leaving only the small ones. I think i'm learning something on this site. The old dog can learn new tricks(maybe)

It would have been interesting to check some stomach contents and some otoliths.

I thought ya'll were talking about THE Kentucky lake. If you have a chance to fish in May or June you should. One of the best lakes in the country right now. It is absolutely UNBELIEVABLE the number of big bass in Kentucky lake.

I am calling BS! The pond isn't being over harvested... It's being under harvested. Years ago, the pond was young, the bass had great growth rates. Since it's a private pond, most guys practiced catch and release, the bass over populated, stunted and now there are no big bass just lots of little ones. The only BG I saw in the net were nice sized ones... If the bass were over harvested, there'd be piles of 3"-4" BG, not 7" plus ones. But I wasn't at the pond, so I can't be sure.

I found the comments for 4:23 - 4:38 interesting. I'm not sure if they are true but I would hope not. If it were true, wouldn't that mean a landowner couldn't harvest an abundant population of stunted bass that are under the state size limit?

Different states have different laws regarding that... Some states allow private pond owners to manage their ponds outside of the state regulations, typically if the pond is not connected to public waters and was not stocked by the state. However, other states require you to follow state law no matter what...

What he said.

Cisco, so glad you chimed in. I'm not throwing you under the bus at all. You viewed the video and thought man overharvest jerks.

Scott and Travis are right on of course. My blood was boiling when I watched this. The advice is 100% WRONG! The net had one maybe two big bluegill they mentioned early on you see no small bluegill. I was furious when i saw them tossing the little dink bass back.

Yes Dave love to see otolith of those 10 inch bass probably 4 years old. This was a great opportunity to educate pondownesr in state of Kentucky viewing this show instead they spread the poor advice.

The biologist is 100% correct in his comments but missed the boat totally on interpreting the data in front of him. The comments did not apply to this body of water. I'm embrassed for him sure he has a masters degree from nice university and then makes this cloussal mistake.

Im sure I'm overreacting but poor Cisco might have believed this BS if not for Pondboss to keep him straight. The fact that this was not something made in the early 90's or so but recent makes it worse.

Ok off soap boax and I guess I'm glad this BS is out so we can continue to have a job in private sector.

Hard to say, because we don't know what they dipped and din't, but from the fish I saw would also say it was being underharvested. The couple bass I could get a good look at were no chunks.

Greg, so true. There is not a week that goes by that I am having to explain bad advise given by a county extension agent or federal agent without throwing them under the bus.

I think as I get older we obviously have more life experiences to draw from when confronted with a net with some fish and how to explain what your findings are. Heck the one time I got to electric fish with you, you may not know it but I learned a great deal from you that day and have used some terms you used when speaking with clients.

I am with you that at least Cisco was able to check here and get a greater educated reply of what the findings were. Great job guys.

Greg,
You didn't throw me under the bus at all, just pulled me from under it and thanks for doing so! I was thinking it was over harvested mainly due to the way my buddy's pond has gone and what I've seen there. I've always thought he was releasing too many LMB but there are a lot of people fishing it now that we don't see. I'm glad you guys are keeping me straight.

Scott I agree not alot seen but not neccesary plenty enough info from what they say and you see. The bass looked to be 75% Wr or less and biggest bass little under 14" and big bluegill. Nuff said.

Cary that is funny I learn when around you, we each have our area of expertise. Nex time in town we can plan around a electrofishing survey.

Just let the wife and son view it and did not make a comment. She was mad and said what are they talking about they don't have enough bream and they need to start pulling out those little bass then they can get the bigger bass back they used to have- Yes can you tell we have been married for 9 years.

Greg:

There's a big difference between book learning and practical experience. It's not only people fresh (or relatively so) out of school, it also applies to older people that don't walk around with their eyes and brains open to comprehend what they are seeing.

There are a lot of people out there that are book smart and practical knowledge stupid.

I'm sure that many people here can relate to that, in many different fields, not just pondmeistering.

Sure, when you look at the video, it looks like someone has caught all the large LMB. Why else would there only be small ones in the net? BUT, put that information together with the lack of small fish, both LMB and BG, plus the condition of the LMB, then a different picture comes to light.

For those that don't know, Greg has a a Masters Degree in Fish Squeezology. However, when he married Wendy, his real education started.

DD1 your wisdom is showing your age.

Scott I can tell about as much about the bass in a lake by looking at the bluegill population size struture no small and nice plump bluegill= skinny bass. Few exceptiosn to this but true in most cases and for sure in this one.

One of the issues coming from Univ and my alma mater is good example. Most fishery classes address reservoir type management not ponds- big diff. And yes praticial knowledge is invaluable.

They continue to miss the point in the video with the comments about releasing the big bass back. I agree it should go back but they say b/c it is female needed to lay the eggs, they do not see that only compounds the lakes current issue. (side note a big 7 lb female is not a major contributor past prime at that point)

OK I watched the thing 3 times. It is chocked full of inconsistent and conflicting info and comments.

Here are a few not mentioned so far.

No YOY present.

Gradual decline - inconsistent with overharvest.

People taking out fish by the hundreds without regard for size.

Used to catch 25-30 2.5 to 6 lb LMB every time in short period of time.

Obviously post spawn.

Fertile pond (said and shown).

It’s made for TV.

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Keep in mind he saw in person the entire event. We did not.

I did not hear them say no small BG. I saw a few mid size BG some skinny LMB some larger BG and I thought at least 1 LMB in decent condition.

IMO there is something else going on that we don't know about. There are at least some out of balance portions of the population.

Eric 3 min mark he says no yoy I guess he is referring to bass? I watched it and did not see any intermediate bg maybe one in the net partially seen. Host says early on "now all you catch are 10 and 9 inch fish". I don't think anything else is going on it seems very text book bass crowded from all the info we were presented. Yes taking out hundreds maybe he means bluegill?

My take is yes made for tv and that skewed their take. The ky afield magazine is a good one free to ky residents with license, very cool. The head of DNR was at UGA with me and knows this info is not true if he viewed this. Made for TV and they setout to achieve their agenda to promote the awareness of the overharvesting of fish. They just choice the wrong pond for that agenda.

I might just call up KY DNR and ask about this. I'm making a bigger deal than it is but best example I could find of continual poor pond advice.

Greg said " I guess he is referring to bass".

That is one of those inconsistent and conflicting info points I am talking about.

If there are no yoy LMB in a LMB/BG pond it is most likely because it is BG stunted. That is contrary to skinny LMB and bass crowded. If on the other hand there are no yoy (which is what he indicated) then what would cause both species to miss the spawn and at the same time have large BG and small LMB. Something is amiss IMO. What I am not sure.

The one thing I have noticed is I rarely see over harvested bass in southern BOW's but in the north I see it all the time. Perhaps it is a regional catch and release mentality, different growing season lengths, or something else. But the lakes and ponds I fish in PA and NY are often over harvested, but in VA and NC, it is usually the complete opposite.