Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Introducing forage fish to my pond

My pond is not new - It has been around for nearly 90 years and in the last 6 years, we have been able to stabilize the water during the summer months, and fish are abundant and easy to catch. We routinely pull 4 and 5 pound fish from the pond - released to fight again. And the bluegill are all over as well. A worm and a bobber and you can catch what you want. Even get the occasional visit from a river otter or cormorant. My question is this - mosquito abatement used to stock gambusia - they're all gone once the bass re-established 6 years ago. My neighbor dumped in a thousand fatheads (7 surface acres + or -), and we don't really see them. Should I leave well enough alone with the BG, or should I look into shiners as a forage. I would also not mind being able to trap a few shiners for bait for myself, too...they cost about $9 a dozen for 3 inch minnows. Can I introduce shiners to my pond, or will they all be eaten before establishing a population? Thanks.
Oh, I am in California.

Hey reel time, welcome to the forum. Experts will be along shortly to help you out, but I'll lend you my opinion till then. I don't believe adding shiners will hurt your pond however, you are right when you suggest they will all be eaten. The FHM didn't last long and the GSH won't either in my opinion. Again, doesn't hurt, but not exactly beneficial either. Your BG forage base is good, but if you're looking to provide additional forage options, might consider fish feeders. Your LMB will not likely take to them, but your BG should.

Hey Reel Time - welcome aboard! Omaha is right - 3" shiners will likely be extirpated prior to establishing themselves as a dependable forage base - so you're left with feeding your LMB a very expensive snack. This falls far short of your pond management goal to establish an additional forage base.

My suggestion is to try and source large, adult shiners - 8-10" - by fishing for them or trapping them in local streams or ponds. Those adult fish, if you have plenty of aquatic and submergent vegetation to provide shiner spawning habitat, may survive long enough to reproduce and provide your best shot at establishing a shiner population. However, lacking the appropriate amount of vegetation to provide protection from predation and you're looking at providing another, albeit larger, snack for your LMB.

Many guys with established LMB populations opt to dig a small forage pond designed to allow forage to reproduce. One seines a few times a year and releases into the main BOW. Not sure this is an option for you, however.

Lake Chubsuckers might be an option for ponds with established LMB populations, many guys here [Todd Overton, Greg Grimes, Travis Tate [CJBS]] have experience with them - I'd suggest a PM to learn more. Todd will ship them, not sure if it's cost prohibitive or not.

You are in good shape if you have a strong BG population to serve as forage, so don't lose any sleep over the challenge of establishing a shiner population. I think it can be done - you just need larger shiners.

reel_time, welcome to the Forum, one other option if you want to have golden shiners is to put a blocking net across a section of your pond so the LMB can't get at them.

If you do a search for "blocking net" on here you should get additional info.

Good call AP - that one slipped my mind. Eric authored good articles in PB about blocking nets. Call Gayle at PB for that back issue if you can't find it in the archives. 800.687.6075

Here are 3 good blocking net projects

ewest
http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=5690&Number=52295#Post52295

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=2071&Number=22189#Post22189


Shorty

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=68460&page=1



Cecil

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=105949&page=1


http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=115264&page=1

I will read up on the blocking nets and see what that may mean for me. The pond itself is all natural...and there's plenty of downed trees, cover, vegetation, etc. Beavers chew some trees from time to time, river otters visit now and again. I'll post a photo or two in the coming days. Wait, I think I have some on the computer. I'll give it a try...