Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Help with a potential problem?

PondMeisters, I need a bit of advice. JHAP, don't get offended.

FRIZ and I did a fish survey on his ponds. The ponds were all looking good in regards to fish size and numbers with the exception of one pond. It has a BUNCH of unwanted occupants - Green Sunfish. Here's the story:

He had the pond dug in a place where there was standing water. The contractor did not dewater the area, treat the water. The assumption was there were no fish in it. The pond will vary in size from approximately 1/2 acre to slightly over an acre in size depending on groundwater levels. Currently it is approximately 3/4 ac.

FRIZ wants to make this pond a SMB/YP/RES pond. He has stocked FHM, GSH, Gambusia and 130 RES in the pond last Spring, and 200 YP last Fall. Our angling survey yesterday showed 2 YP (in O.K. body condition), one RES in great condition and 5.5" long and 15 Greenies, about half were gravid females. We set a minnow trap in the pond baited with AquaMax and dog food kibble. In the trap there were another 15-20 Greenies ranging in size from 1/2" to almost 3" and 2 YP. No RES fingerlings, FHM, GSH or Gams.

We checked all the other ponds by the same methods and found that the other YP/RES/SMB pond had RES recruitment last year, and has a viable population of all stocked species of fish. The GSH were gravid, and there was evidence that all species pulled off at least one successful spawn last year.

There are no SMB in any of the ponds now. What should be done with the pond that has the GSF in it? None of the other ponds have any GSF in them.

Since the pond with the GSF has minimal stocked fish in it, should it be drained, rotenoned and re-stocked? Or should another route be taken? Would introducing SMB in the pond control the GSF numbers?

There is no outside water source for the pond, other than groundwater so if the GSF are eradicated, they won't find their way back into the pond.

From our survey, I can extrapolate that there are probably in excess of 2,000 GSF in the pond now.

Suggestions please!!

If SMB are the goal I'd start over... GSF are nasty predators of SMB young and heavy compete with them. Plus they will eat much of the forage as you're seeing with no signs of RES or GSH reproduction. If you just can't stomach that consider a fyke net purchase... They are expensive but a great investment IMO.

Travis, the fyke net is getting more and more looks. It'd be a good investment because it could be used in the other ponds on a yearly basis to do a fish survey. Now to just figure out on what size to get (mesh, wing size and throat opening).

It's one of those things that if you and a couple other ponds owners you know can go together on purchasing it, you can share it between all your ponds. The mesh size mostly dictates how small a fish you catch and thus depends on what you're trying to accomplish with it. Wing size really depends on how large a body of water is. Smaller wings can be used in bigger ponds, they just won't be as effective.