Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Keeping bass population healthy?

I just started fishing in a pond 6 1/2 acres, because i know the owner. I have caught 2 healthy 6 inchers, and i reeled in this bass the other day. Is it unhealthy, or maybe a little skinny because it just spawned? It is 20 inches and 3 lbs 15 oz. If there isn't enough forage, how would the bass get that big in the first place? How can i keep bass this size in the pond and spend minimal money? I am still gaining new info about fish sizes, as ive only caught those three. Flickr

There could have been forage in the pond the right size initially but then the forage became limited. Remove bass, so that those remaining have more food. Simplest and cheapest way to produce bigger bass.

At one time that 20" LMB weighed 4 1/3#. What did the littler LMB look like?

Like CJ said, either the food that it needs to continue to grow is gone, or there are way too many weeds in the pond, allowing the forage fish to escape easily.

Ok....so you don't think it was skinny or weighed a little less because it just spawned?

And the little ones were average weight i would say...their bellies werent skinny. Which makes me think the bigger bass had just spawned? Do you guys think i should catch more numbers of fish to see what they look like/weigh and then come back and ask again?

will the owner allow you to add Bluegill?
they will reproduce and create a strong forage base.

I think you can buy Bluegill depending on
their size from like 40 cents to 80 cents each.

This is what is suggested by Dick Anderson - the Prof who wrote the book on PSD.

Keep taking <12 in bass until the number 8-12 equals number 12-15. Ideal pond structure is 40% 8-12, 40% 12-15 and 20% 15+

This assumes good fish condition.

Another suggestion is take out all the fish in poor condition in all size groups. Note the size group that is stunted will have a much higher % of fish in poor condition.

These are all correlated to the concept of RW mgt.

Here are 3 archive links with a ton of info on the subject.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=255372#Post255372

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=255359#Post255359

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92492#Post92492

If the only method of removal is hook and line then you need to consider the catchibility issue which underlies your question about genetics.

Look for threads here on catchability. The info is here as is the research.



Here are a couple with links

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=274175&page=1

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post200220

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post260622

Do you help the owner manage, work at, and provide resources for the pond or do you just fish it? What are you doing with culled fish? Do you provide cleaned fish for the owner to eat?
How are you assessing the forage fish populations?

If you do stock BG, make sure they are northern BG not coppernose BG. You are too far north for coppernose BG to survive.

CJ - usually anglers are not willing to spend money on doing the right management methods for someone else's pond. Many 'freeloading' anglers are interested in only catching large bass and not spending money to benefit the fishery, thus proper BG stocking from a hatchery is probably not an option.

I know the guy, and i am just asking the cheapest ways we can get the bass to grow bigger. I am fine with the idea of culling but i just feel like if i take out too many they will barely reproduce

LMB are very prolific, they will reproduce just fine.

Believe me, in that sized pond, you won't be able to catch all the LMB, and what you don't catch will be plenty to spawn. This problem that you have will be an ongoing problem. You will continually have to harvest LMB. In my pond last year I removed more than 80 LMB. My neighbor fishes in my pond, and the rule for him is that he takes out ANY LMB that doesn't have a tag in it, no matter what size it is. I tagged 38 feed trained LMB last year and stocked them into the pond. Even with that management plan, I don't see many BG, but the LMB aren't thin because of the feeding program. I put in between 1,500 and 2,000 BG last fall that were 2"-3" and I rerely see one. That might give you an idea of just how many fish LMB eat.

I have a recovering LMB poulation and plenty of BG. I see quite a few 4 t0 6" LMB and a few larger ones. Is there a slot size that is recomended for removal LMB to select for bug ones? I do not feed.

Ok so what im getting from this is i should fish at this pond and see if theres one predominant size that is underweight and if there is i should harvest them whenever i catch them