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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4
Fingerling
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OP
Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4 |
I have a 15 acre pond that is overpopulated with bass. Most of the bass that I catch are 1/2 pound or less. The bream population seems to be ok. How many bass should I remove to get back in balance?
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,255
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,255 |
Without a shocking survey, an exact answer to your question is not possible. A great number of other variables are present, including other fish species present, especially forage, other predator species, amount of available cover, etc. However, in 15 acres, you can likely remove every runner sized bass [6-12or14 inches] you and all your friends can possibly catch without any risk of seriously depopulating the bass. You'll know you're making progress when you start catching larger, fatter bass.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Waco, welcome to the forum... Trying to remove enough bass from a 15 acre lake with an overcrowded bass population is going to be a real chore. I would recommend you keep a catch log. Measure all the lengths of fish caught and their weights. Then you can start calculating relative weights. I would keep ALL bass in the 8"-13" range. For a lake your size, I am estimating you're going to need to keep in excess of 750 bass that size for beginners. The fact that your sunfish population is still doing well, means you may just be getting to the crowded bass issue and not having been there for an extended period of time.
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Welcome to Pond Boss Waco. Yolk and CJ have provided some good insight. A common number for the SE depending on the matters noted above is 25 lbs per acre the first year. But it does depend on your situation. Here is a common gauge.
Here is an excellent go by on what you should look for from Doc Anderson (he knows as he literally wrote the FS book on this).
Dick Anderson Member # 3017
Rate Member posted February 13, 2007 12:58 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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+
Last edited by ewest; 04/13/10 04:18 PM.
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 686
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
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You have great advice so far! I wish you luck, you have alot of fishing to do! Be sure and remember how many you remove
Get out and fish.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,973
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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another very important factor is productivity? Do you fertilize? If so you may need to bump the removal to 30-35 lbs/acre or 500 lbs or 1000 little 10 inch bass. This of course if your goals are to produce more quality size bass.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4
Fingerling
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OP
Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4 |
Thanks for all the information. I plan to fertilize with liquid 10-34-0. I will start keeping the small bass. Should I also keep all bream that I catch regardless of size?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,422 Likes: 795
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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I'd just remove the LMB. Leave any BG that you catch in the pond as forage or forage reproducers for the LMB.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,973
Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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if you want to grow better bass do not remove bluegill. agree with esshup
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Joined: Mar 2005
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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No harvest of BG the first year while you remove 25 to 30 lbs of small LMB per acre.
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4
Fingerling
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Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
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This is an old pond with mature bluegill. Should I not harvest these either?
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,028 Likes: 274
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
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Your mature Bluegill are your breeders.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Your mature Bluegill are your breeders. Exactly! The bigger the fish, the more eggs they will lay. You want the forage base (BG) to build up. More food to go around for less mouths to eat. You'll still have the same problem if you take out BG along with the underweight LMB.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,025 Likes: 1
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,025 Likes: 1 |
With 15 acres, if you like to eat bluegill, taking some out for a fish fry wont hurt you. Just keep after the small bass. Maybe wait til after a couple of BG spawns to take any.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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If you do take out adult BG then increase the LMB harvest during the first year.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Waco, can you afford to have an electroshock boat come to your pond? In a couple hours, an electroshock boat can remove as many bass as you could in a couple months via fishing rod. Particularly this time of year when the bass tend to be in shallow water and a bit easier to shock up... Add in getting to see a true representation of your fish community and you will quickly get a much better idea what's going on under the surface of your pond.
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