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jstiz #372698 04/16/14 11:34 PM
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So I went fishing this evening and did pretty decent! The crappie must be spawning heavy right now. I caught three 8in crappie in 30m and 2 very decent bass and one little bluegill. All on a rapella. I kept all crappie out and removed 2 this past weekend. One of the crappie had HUGE eyes, that means they are stunted right? Is it just that time of year for crappie? I seem to be catching alot right now.

jstiz #372918 04/18/14 08:13 AM
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So I have removed 8 large catfish ( no flatheads though). Now when I feed only two cats come up and the rest bluegills.

I think I may have a crappie problem too... Ha. Went out last night and caught 2 more and a lot of bites. My dad and I are going to start hitting the crappie hard. The crappie are very very aggressive right now.

I don't think the guy who stocked the pond with any minnows ever. Would it be a bad idea to stock some now to give my baby bluegill a rest. The shoreline is murder site in the evening. I'm adding some structure for smaller fish to hide. Now there is just some pond grass ? I don't know official name but looks like grass in about 1 ft of water.

Any suggestions??

jstiz #372929 04/18/14 09:22 AM
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Crappie are on spawn right now...they're going to be very aggressive for the next few weeks.

Unless you have a good bit of cover dumping minnows in a mature pond is basically expensive fish food. They can't survive most of the time...they'll just get eaten.


Dale

[Linked Image from i90.photobucket.com]

"When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water." - anonymous
jstiz #380713 06/26/14 01:19 PM
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UPDATE!
I have noticed lots of small fry and baby fish. It also appears my BG are getting bigger and my LMB.

I was trying to figure all this out but would of the BG not been spawning in past years due to the Cat-Tails that had over run the whole pond. I had the pond completely cleaned of all Cattails last year. This year it is amazing all the baby fish I see. I added in lot of cover this summer too.

We have probably removed over 50lbs of CC and Flatheads over the past year too. Needless to say we have been having a lot of fish frys! smile

I have only kept about 5 nice Bluegills out and 3 LMB.

So my question now is where could I purchase some FHM? I would like to add some into my new shallow cover areas and get a good base of them growing. Is this possible and where can I buy them? Also how many should I buy. Pond is almost 3/4 of an acre.

jstiz #380724 06/26/14 03:17 PM
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If you have an existing population of LMB in the pond, the FHM that you stock will only be a short term snack for the fish. They will not establish a reproducing population in the pond (for any significant length of time).

FHM are used in the beginning stages of a pond to produce a large forage crop for the newly introduced fingerling LMB to gorge on. Once the LMB are 10"-12" or so, the population of FHM is usually all consumed and the LMB start concentrating on small BG.


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
jstiz #380728 06/26/14 03:43 PM
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Esshup,

I am gonna go out on a limb here and say that getting FHM going really all depends on his pond. I have all kinds of FHM year after year. And I have a fair amount of LMB in my 1 acre pond. I do have quite a bit of cover and tires for them but I think one thing is I have a couple of really shallow areas for them to get into and the bass cant really get into the shallows to get to them very well. Not saying your not correct in most cases, but I think it can depend on your shoreline as well and how fast it drops off.

RC


The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
RC51 #380731 06/26/14 04:22 PM
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Very true! If you have shallow areas that allow them to escape predation from both below and above, plus have ample spawning habitat, then they can last in a pond for a long time. Many get hammered during the winters up here because those areas aren't available for them to hide in due to the ice and snow.


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jstiz #380742 06/26/14 07:07 PM
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Oh I suppose I never thought about the winter ice.. If that happend here that would also be the case as my first 8 to 12 inches of water would be froze like you said! They would have to go deeper and then get busted!

RC


The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
jstiz #380776 06/27/14 07:38 AM
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Well my pond has one finger off it and it is about 3ft at the deepest part then as it goes back it gets really shallow. I have a couple dead willow trees tied up in it and one Christmas tree. The baby fish are all hunkered down in this area now. So your telling me I would lose them in the winter in shallow areas if I was able to get them established.

Caught a 4lb CC last night smile Cut up a bluegill that had swallowed the hook and used it as bait. Really wanting to see if I can find anymore Flatheads! I find it really hard to believe he only put two in my pond. I hope he didn't but I would figure if he stocked them he put more than two.

jstiz #380793 06/27/14 11:48 AM
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Well jstiz the problem is where you live that small finger I bet will freeze like esshup said, so them small minnows have to come out of the finger and go deeper and then they could get ate. Where I am at here in Batesville Arkansas it does not hardly ever freeze for very long. So my FHM can stay a bit more shallow and skip getting ate! Fish naturally go deeper in the winter anyhow so you may could get by with it if you put a air station at the front of that finger in 3 foot of water in the winter. Some might make it then..... maybe...

RC


The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
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