Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Help - I.D. my bass predator!

Background and conditions: Until the past two years, our pond has been a bass and crappie wonderland. We're almost talking in terms of the old Miller Lite commercial where the fish are jumping in the boat. However, the fishing has been on a decline, and about this time last year we knew we needed to do something, but didn't know what yet. About that same time I found this forum (what did we do before the internet ). This past year the bass were tough to come by, and the crappie are nowhere to be found. 5-6 pound bass used to be commonplace, and now a 2-1/2 pounder is a rarity. So, we knew the population was down, but not why.

Well, we now know at least one reason why! We have a damn bass predator! Because of the nice weather we have been having here in the midwest, we decided to head down to the farm to bring in the new year. As soon as I walked on the dock of our pond I was struck by a foul odor, but couldn't find the source. Next day my son spotted it while in the paddle boat. Decaying heads of about 7 bass underneath the dock's decking.



While there are other things I need to address like food chain and vegetation issues, we now know one reason the population is less than it was. Question is, what's the predator? I see what looks like a Muskrat burrow in the bank of the dam, but I can't verify that he's there. Even if there's one around, my understanding is that they are vegetarians. What's your guess folks? Whatever it is, it would have to be able to catch the live bass, and also be able to climb from the water to the underside of the dock.

Gene,

Over what period of time do you think the bass have been accumulating under the dock? Are you close the a river or large stream?

Alligator snapping turtle would be my guess. See the link below for the Missouri info. They eat fish and have been known to lure them using their tongue as bait. Less likely a standard snapping turtle since they tend to be more of a scavenger as opposed to predator.

If it is an Alligator snapper remember they are protected in MO.

I would suggest you try and contact the State Herpetologist Tom Johnson The only number was for the headquarters of the Conservation Department at 573/751-4115.

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/turtles/

Here is an example of a middle weight at 70lbs I would not want to be in the water with it

http://www.bigwoods.net/images/sidalturtle.jpg

Good luck with your problem.

JW.

Hmm... Aligator snappers are not indigenous to the area where our pond is located. However, we have had some run-ins with the common snapper, but thought that we had gotten rid of them. While fishing about a year and a half ago, a friend had a few bass on a stringer, not too keep, but just waiting for someone to get back from a trail ride with a camera to take a few pics. When someone arrived he reached down to grab the stringer and there were two common snappers who had a death grip on two of the three bass. Being a game specis, he wielded a 12 guage and issued fair waring; It went something like this: "Say hello to my little friend." The two common snappers were terminated. Haven't seen any since.

Here's the thing that puzzles me if indeed the above photo is from a snapper: How in the world did it/they get in the space under the dock decking? You may very well be right, but I can't imagine a turtle being able to get up into the space where the fish heads are. Or, even why they would choose that space over the bank See the below photo to get a better idea.

Oh, and to answer your questions, the pond is less than a mile from the Current River, which is a spring fead river. There is also a spring just below (as in 10 ft.) the pond dam, which feads into the Current River. This is the first time we have ever found any dead fish, or parts thereof, under the dock.

I would put my money on an otter.
Look closely for dog size droppings along the bank full of scales.
Once an otter finds your pond he will eventually eat every fish in it if not stopped.
Check with your local game warden to see if it is legal to trap otters. If it is he should be able to give you a name of a local trapper.
If not he should be able to give you a depradation permit.
The otter fur will sell for btw $60 & $100 so you can recoup money to restock.

KGP, Have had similar situations here in Ohio. Always found to be raccoons, easy to tell as the foot prints on the bank are a sign. Raccoons being of the bear family are great hunters of fish.Try a box trap anchored to the shore line with catfood and see if an otter or coon shows up. I have not seen fish heads left behind or perhaps the turtles finished that part off. Good trapping Ted

Perhaps you had a fish kill and land predators just dragged the carcasses to that area to eat them.

I agree with Ric Swain, you probably have a river
otter. They can decimate a pond in a short time,
and usually eat the fish from the tail up, leaving only the heads. In Texas, they can be shot in nuisance situations if trapping fails.

KGP, this link might help you to i.d any tracks you find. A river otter would be a good guess, I would have thought you would have seen him by now, if he has taken up residence at your pond. My guess is mink, mostly hunts at night, very fast swimmer and insatiable appetite.

www.bear-tracker.com/mammals.html

Folks, than a ton for the replies! After reading all the information, I'm putting my money on an Otter. Reason being, back in the summer we found droppings on the top of the deck, but didn't know what they were from. I remember seeing a lot of what looked like small white particles. At the time I had no idea of what Otter droppings looked like. Those white particles must have been scales. Searching the internet I found some black and white pics, and they back-up my blief that they were Otter droppings. What further confused me is that the amount of the droppings were enough for 5 or 6 humans!

Being that this property is a weekend retreat type, it makes self-trapping dificult at best. It would also answer your question as to why we have not seen the Otter. I do know the local conservation officer, so I will contact him this week in hopes of locating someone who can assist in trapping this no-good fish robbing pest.

Mink don't go after that large a fish (I trap...I'm tellin' ya), but would definitely eat them if found dead, but fresh.

Turtles wouldn't leave the heads...that's what we use for bait in the summer to trap turtles.

Gotta be an otter...never have seen one of them critters, but there's supposed to be a few around here (S.E. Iowa) and more where you're at.

That's gotta be it...

Yea, well there's one less than there used to be around here.

Congrats! We're hunting a tree stripping beaver ourselves, without much luck. So far the only hapless victims have been a couple of skunks, possums, and a raccoon. But like most critters, I would venture to say if there is one, there are more. I wouldn't give up the fight just yet.

Have a client here in East Central Ia. that has a privately stocked brown trout stream. Nice trout to 2 1/2 lbs-even reproducing. Two years ago he began finding brownies on the bank with just a bite out of their back. As the days went by he would find them piled in bunches along the stream with the one bite out of them. DNR had intoduced river otter in the area the previous summer. They cleaned out the streams for miles around, including the state stocked trout streams. Would guess you have a similar problem.

Only in Iowa does the DNR stock otters with trout
Sorry, about the joke, I couldn't help myself.