Hello everyone. First here is the Data: Just over 1/2 acre pond in NW Ohio. Used for Geothermal system with an open loop. In place since 1996. I purchased the property just over a year ago. Pond Was stocked with Largemouth and Bluegill and a few carp. Here is what occurred: In 2008 the pond flooded due to manmade issue. The issue was corrected and will never happen again but the 2008 flood left the fish population devastated. My estimates from a year of looking at the pond are that I have about 100 Bluegill (most all are large adults - very few little ones), One very large largemouth and about 6 medium sized ones. The fish are breeding...Last year and this year I have seen spawning nests and many fingerlings on the edge of the water. I suspect that the fish are hungry and eating their young, hence the population stalemate. Here is what I desire: A good swimming and fishing pond for largemouth and bluegill. Here is what I have done so far: In the spring I added 20lbs of fathead minnows and added three pallets on the various edges of the pond to give fatheads and future fingerlings cover. I noticed this years offspring is swimming the edges of the pond again...so I am heading to the local fishery when they open this Wednesday to add at least another 10lbs of forage in hopes of increasing this years offspring's chances of survival. My questions are: For this size pond how many bluegill and bass should I have? What is the best way to reach that number other than feeding them at least three times a year and waiting? Should I harvest the larger bluegill in order to let others grow? If so what size limit and how many? If I am to add bass and bluegill, what type first? What size? How many and at what time of year? I know that's a lot but I'm trying to not forget anything because otherwise I will. Thank you so much - Any input is greatly appreciated! Here is a photo of what I am working with.
Quinn, Most people would give a lot to have your problem. If you were CERTAIN (I'm not sure it is possible to be certain on this....) that you only had ONE largemouth (or 1 + 6 smaller ones), then I would do everything you can to remove him or her/them. With any larger predators in there, buying more fatheads makes no sense. However if you could remove your predators (at least the ones with big enough mouths to eat your adult forage minnows which includes even small 5-6" bass) then you would go back to having a chance to build forage by adding minnows, spotfin shiners, golden shiners, lake chubsuckers, dace, any other locally available forage. Then you would let them have a year or two to populate, the more the better.
However, I'm not sure it is possible to have only 7 LMB left in a pond if there ever was more than 2 in the beginning. However if you could target the 7 LMB with sight fishing and remove them, you might have a chance.
managing the bluegill is not something I'm skilled at, someone else will chime in.
In fact if you are this close to having no fish (7 LMB, a few bluegill) You may want to pump down, treat the pond to 'euthanize' the fish, be sure to net out the fish, then restart with building your forage base. Give it a few years, add all kinds of forage, crayfish, then plan for a slow stocking plan that adds fish in a thoughtful way, deciding ahead of time what your goals are, what your apex predators are going to be, etc.
Yes, the previous owner of the home said euthanizing the pond was his plan to "start Over". I want to at least try other means before I go this route. It is possible to have more bass than I suspect for sure. But when I'm on the tractor mowing the fish pretty much follow me around waiting for something edible to fall in. I see the same carp, the same bass (roughly 6) the big one is pretty unmistakable, he's huge and the only one of his size I've seen in a year. I know it seams odd to have so few fish - But after the flood the previous owner and his wife and neighbors spent days picking hundreds of dead fish from the surrounding area. Your input makes sense and was my suspicion: If I want to grow more by feeding I will have to get rid of the large ones - I'm almost certain this goes for the bluegill as well. Thank you!
you may have luck since you can recognize the fish and they are conditioned to feed in shallows or follow you for food that you can get some pellets and get them used to hitting them. Or have a supply of other 'snacks' (crickets grasshoppers, small frogs) and toss them to them when you are coming by on the tractor to condition them. Then you can switch to artificial lure and perhaps catch them. The big ones may get hookshy or wary soon.
If you could remove the LMB, stocking minnows makes sense. Then you can target the bluegill again by fishing them out.
Some try to keep the male LMB in by catching them in spring when on the beds or some other way to separate M from Female.
That may also work with bluegill but not till next spring. Others may be able to teach you how to sex BG by sight, but not sure how 100% that process is.
Posting pictures of your bass and bluegill as well as relative weights will help you and us understand how stressed or well nourished your fish are.
I should have mentioned that, Yes, I am feeding the fish on a regular basis with pond fish food from the local farm supply store. I am hoping this suffices a bit but I am thinking actual fish to eat would be better. After the big ones are removed as you suggested. Speaking of that, wish I would have talked to you sooner, I would have not put this back in the pond, here are a couple pics of one of the medium sized ones I caught a few weeks ago. The big one is too smart. He will not even react to a lure. He just stares at you. The big one is several inches bigger than this one. When he's beside the ones like this on pictured...he's noticeably larger. I need to get these guys out and get my foliage built up from the way it sounds. These are very nice fish, but so few of them is not good and I cant do much as far as growing the pond with them in it from the way it sounds.
It would be fine, maybe even ideal to keep a few LMB in there to control the BG population. The kicker is you have to figure out how to get them to not make babies.... I'd love to find a local source for 3-4 single sex LMB as they would be perfect to help balance the pond, keep ahead of the frogs, control the yearly fry explosion from other fish etc.
