Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Grass Carp Diet

I have just drained my 5 acre pond for repair to the dam. I had 7 grass carp from 19 to 22 pounds each. I had no vegetation what so ever!!!! Do those guys feed on anything else that has been documented? They have to feed on something else! The fish population was no where near what it should have been in a 30 yr old pond. Personaly I think they at least feed on eggs of bedding bream.
Any Ideas????????/

In ponds without PROPER fertilization or artificial fish feeding, the fish community biomass is quite low compared to what many EXPECT it should be. Often clear water ponds have no more than 10 to 25 pounds of total fish per acre. Amur have been reported by some nieve people to eat larval fish; but I am convinced when stocked at normal densities and as slow swimming as these fish normally are, the predatory ability on other fish by grass carp is minimal and very little overall impact on the total fishery. However, any denuded low fertility aquatic habitat (by chemical, mechanical or biological means) usually supports less fish mass than a pond or lake with normal vegetation levels of 15% to 40% coverage. Vegetation creates habitat, refuge areas and allows fish food resources to flourish.

Other bream (or green sunfish) no doubt ate many more fish eggs than the 7 amur in your pond. The amur were probably busy keeping the vegetation consumed.

Do u have grass around your pond? In my pond i see them come up in the shallows and munch on the grass about 3 inches up on the bank. Ive also seen them stick there heads out of the water and grab young cattail. Also if there is any rock or tree limbs that lay in the water they eat the slime that grows on them. I think when they are limited to just this to eat they may eat small fish because i saw them chasing minnows on the surface before. When i saw it chase the minnows it didnt catch any so i think they could really knock a big hole in your fish population.

I hope Iam not just nieve, it's just hard to figure how these 7 large fish survived on only vegetation when there isn't any. I mean absolutely none! You are right Mr. Cody the total fish population is not what I thought. The pond is 30 yrs old, I have owned it for 3 yrs, and for the last 25 yrs the pond has not been taken care of at all. I hope after the dam repair that will change! Thanks for the info, all is appreciated!!

I helped a student with his masters thesis on grass carp. THEY DO NOT EAT FISH NOR EGGS! They control their metabolism so if there is little vegetation they are not very active. IF you did not see any vegetation it does not mean they did not eat some as it first starts to grow. 7 grass carp in 5 acres is really low, this is not the answer to your low amount of fish. Golf courses commonly stock 20-30/acre and they have good reproduction because it is fertile, with no loss to them eating the eggs. Good question since you were concenred but this is one of these myths.

Two weeks ago with my family as witnesses i caught a grass carp on a worm sitting on the bottom. He didn't put up a fight at all and was fairly fat. I have vegetation (mostly grass) all around my pond. So they will eat a worm.

jd

Agree they will eat whatever is there. My daughter caught one with a worm on a bobber last weekend and I only stocked 2 in my pond.

i too have caught a few on worms, both on the bottom and under a bobber. i have also seen them "stealing" my fish feed.