There are 3 ponds about 2 acres each in my neighborhood. They are private. This weekend I caught 2 yellow bass about 6 inches. I have never caught any before in the past 3 years. Apparently they somehow got introduced...much to my disappointment. Any ideas on how to control them? They are residential ponds with an association so I can't get them to rotenone the pond and clean up. Catch and keep is not an option as consumption of the fish from the ponds would not be advised due to the suburban run off, nor do I have the time to sit there and try to fish out yellow bass.
The ponds are great. I have caught BG up to 9 inches this year and bass up to 18.5 inches. I also stocked catfish. The association doesn't care if I stock as it my own expense. Thoughts? Thanks.
I can't resist (if you don't understand the background story, just read my post about a white bucket nightmare on my property)....
You say 'Apparently they somehow got introduced' And then the last sentence is, 'The association doesn't care that I stocked...'
So how is it a surprise that fish show up when the association doesn't care about bucket stocking as long as it is on someone else's dime? I would imagine others who asked if they could stock in the past were probably given the same story (fine with us...)
I would not spend any money on rotenone until the 'private' ponds become truly private. If you don't have a tall, electrified razor fence, or a security guard posted day and night, it is difficult to keep a single pond on private property truly protected from unwanted stocking. Add to that 3 ponds of 2 acres each scattered in different locations and I think you are going to have to plan on a different management strategy.
read about this species of true yellow bass, (attached)
but I guess this specie is often confused with striped bass or hybrids thereof?
Maybe yellow bass live in Illinois but not in Michigan? I have never come across this on this forum. Where would they fit in the predator/prey ladder? Are they a good addition for a northern pond?
Yellow bass are quite common here, mostly in reservoirs and rivers, and are usually unpopular. They usually mix in with white bass, their cousins. They seldom get large enough to matter and compete with more desirable species. The state record is 2 lbs. If they have similar reproductive needs as a white bass, then I doubt they would overtake a pond.
It would be highly unlikely for yellow bass to reproduce in a smaller pond. The yellow bass caught were likely bucket stocked or came into the pond via a high water event.
Yellow bass will over winter in any pond a white bass could over winter in... They are biologically very similar in their requirements. Like white bass, they are open water oriented and schooling and generally feed on open water species. YOY shad would be their biggest prey item in natural conditions, other likely prey would be emerald shiners, spottail shiners, common shiners, golden shiners and other open water species. Their mouth gape would be similar to a similar sized white bass.
There are 4 "true" bass in North America. They are from the temperate bass family and include the white, yellow and striped bass as well as the white perch. There are two related species in Europe that closely resemble striped bass in both appearance and habitat. Our white and yellow bass are native to parts of the Mississippi River drainage, while the striped bass and white perch are native to most Atlantic coastal river systems.
Thanks for the replies. I am concerned because I have read that yellow bass have destroyed ponds and lakes in Iowa. I am in northern Illinois and the climate is very similar to that in Iowa so I am assuming that they can overwinter here. I also know that that white bass are all over the Illinois river which is only a 100 miles or so south of me. If they survive in conditions similar to white bass I would think they will live here.
