Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations HSB Mortality revisited

Since I was one of the early “pioneers” stocking HSB in Texas farm ponds, I feel a responsibility to monitor and report current results.

To date I continue to catch several ~2 - ~5lb HSB on each trip, so it is safe to assume they have survived 3 years of low water, nutrient rich drought periods, and likely 4+ years of age.

Hopefully the 5 lb HSB that I caught in main 2-acre pond November 2006, survived and should be 7lbs if it survived stress of catch and release. I doubt that it was the only five pounder in the pond.
The ~4 – 5lb HSBs caught last fall and late winter should attain a growth of 6lbs or better this year if they survived the “presumed “ 5 year life span.

100, 6 – 8 inch HSB were grown out to 2 – 3 lbs in 2 years in unaerated, low water, hot weather ¼ acre pond, and 50 transferred to main pond, leaving others in small pond to control CNBG spawns.
How many were left in the “grow out” pond and how many mortalities is unknown,

Our program is based on creating an annual stocking “ladder” to continue catching 3 – 5 lb HSB each year.

If the HSB grow larger and live longer than presently documented, my goal has been exceeded.

If the all die at 5 years, so be it.
I’ll have another class of 5 year old fish each year.
Who would not be happy catching a 3 –5 lb fish on a regular basis, with a fighting heart so strong it will fight to it’s death unless properly resuscitated?

I will report further results as spring fishing continues and before hot summer weather begins.

Based on my goals for put and take philosophy, I will be ‘happy for the rest of my life to be able to catch 3 – 5 lb premium sport fish such as HSB.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...ite_id=1#import

November 2006


December 2007

What is the main source of forage for your HSB?

It seems like you ought to get some 6 year olds, george.

Purina Aquamax 600...

George and I discussed this yesterday. I know a lot less about HSB than I know about them and get a lot of questions from people. So, I asked George and mentioned the subjects below. He has been actively stocking them longer than anybody I know.

Background: I have run into 3 different people, good knowledgable pond owners, who have found that their HSB have trouble making it beyond 3 or 4 years of age. I recently discussed this with some "Reps" of the Texas Parks and Wildlife and found that they are of the same opinion. One person told me that the first 3 years were a "honeymoon". Everything went great until Texas summers created a high mortality rate on caught/older fish and that they were hard to catch when they got larger. Well heck, most older fish are harder to catch and Striped Bass die when they reach the surface in Texas summers.

I have no knowledge of the other pond owners methods and doubt that they annually stock new years classes like George does.

I believe it might be possible to get them to even larger sizes in deeper water with aeration. It appears to me (ignorant) that they might be limited by Texas heat in shallower ponds. After all, Texas lakes grow some real whoppers but are not constrained with the shallower water that we find in ponds. Is depth the constraining factor? How about a combination of pellets and shad as something to extend their life span?

George is successful with his methods. He actually recussitates his fish with a portable oxygen bottle to assure that they reach their potential and has only had one caught fish go belly up. He ate it.

And, as he said, his 4 to 5 pound HSB will outfight a 7 or 8 pound LMB. There is probably a better chance of growing a 4 lb HSB than a 7 or 8 lb LMB.

I'm still thinkin and askin.

I too have am learning. I have 270 from 2 classes stocked and caught my first 4 pounder last Sun. Just started a new pond for HSB and crappie...a la overton...(slide show coming soon)
Plan is for an acre of open 16-20' and an acre of 4-6'. Theo, I'll try and get the FHs thick enough to walk on.

George, when does the mortality seem to come into play? May-June?
Have yet to experience the table fare but plan to this summer. Like the annual stocking “ladder” and plan to copy you! Do you prefer spring or fall stocking? Just switched to Aq 600 feed.

Dave, if it rains, I should have 20'+ and elec. in the works for
aeration.

Al, HSB mortality based on fishing stress, is due to increased summertime high water temperature and a “fighting to death syndrome”.
HSB must be landed quickly and resuscitated.
I use an O2 system that I copied from you, similar to the one you use for offshore bait.
Thanks for the idea.

May and June are prime fishing months – I usually stop fishing for them at all when the water temp reaches 80 degrees and higher.

Summer “die-off” of large HSB in Texas farm ponds is analogous to Striped Bass on Lake Texoma, when every few years there are fish kills of large fish during periods of drought and low water.
That is the reason that very few stripers over 20 lbs are caught on Lake Texoma whereas Lake Oauchita in Arkansas produces trophy striped bass over 40 lbs, being a deep lake with good water quality.

Good water quality and aeration systems are necessary for summer survival of HSB in Texas farm pond, and as mentioned deep water is a plus – wish we had known at the time our pond was dug…

I am a survivalist and stock HSB both fall and spring, into either main pond and/or “grow out pond”, based on size and availability,

Fish mortality of any species is a given, whether by fishing stress or water quality issues. It only becomes a factor with non-reproducible species.

I have only failed to resuscitate one large fish, but we celebrated its untimely demise with a grandiose fish dinner.
They are excellent table fare.

Anxious to follow you HSB/Crappie pond’

george, do I remember correctly that you also feed the HSB less when it is real hot?

As long as they feed actively - summer or winter - right or wrong - I feed.
When I am unable to be at "our" ponds to observe activity and amount of feed consumed durng the hottest or coldest periods, I will ask my DIL turn off the feeders.

Do they tend to eat less when it's real hot?

I have not observed any slow down in feeding activity in hot weather.
Our HSB and CNBG are in a feeding frenzy mode in hot weather - I set the timers for coolest past of day - early morning and late evening.
I have read so much on the forum about risks in overfeeding in expreme heat and cold that I turn the feeders off when I'm not able to observe.

That sounds like an intelliegently cautious practice, george.

Come on, warmer water up North. I'm ready to feed!