Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Fish sampling program

How does one set up a fish sampling program/method? I am on my way to grow some nice double digit lmb,(at least that is the plan) but how does one maintain or determine his forage supply ratio of forage to lmb. Since I am wanting to keep the lmb on the fast track, I need to keep the lmb eating without exerting to much energy to feed. RW/WR will keep me advised if the fish are in the 100% or over the 100% but if they start falling below, I will be playing catch up and that puts me behind. So to keep the forage high or to the desired range, how does one sample the forage ratio? And using Tilapia will change the ratio dramatically From late Nov through May. So I would think I would need to look at the BG mostly and consider the Tp as the icing on the cake, so to speak. I know E fishing might give me an idea but is there another way?

Thanks

Tracy

Yes you can do seine surveys but like electrofishing they are backwards looking. They are both very useful. The trick is to stay in front of the results and keep forage high.

ewest, thanks, I was thinking about seining but would only be able to do a small area of the pond. maybe only a 16th of the pond. Not sure what I would learn from that?? What is meant when they are backwards looking?

Tracy

They measure past events/condition. The key is to take the info and project what you need to do going forward. Correct analysis of the data and deciding what to do to reach your goal is not always a straight forward clear answer.

Seine surveys are specific and don't cover a large area. They provide info on the relationship/existence between certain size prey and predator in the seine survey.

Seine surveys can help you determine the size of hatch and rate of survival if you done at right times and with accuracy. If you can determine the start of BG spawning and then estimate days between spawns. That will definitely help you get ahead on forage abundance.

About seine surveys the following is from the archive.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92492#Post92492

One of the tell-tale signs of an overcrowded LMB pond is the absence of 3-4 in BG (or other species of the same size). This was and is the basic premise of the seine survey method developed by Dr. Homer Swingle ( a truly great scientist) in the 1940s. The concept is you can assess the predator population by the size and condition of the prey base. No 3-4 inch BG usually means to many LMB in the size range 3 to 4 times the prey size. No or few 3-4 in. BG means to many 10-12in. LMB.

The corollary to this principle is if you see in the seine surveys increasing numbers of 3-4 inch BG (and yoy BG and LMB) then the LMB population is changing to a more balanced status . Recall the prey are reflecting what is occurring in the predator population as well as their own.

Here is a link to the MSU Pond Mgt. Book. Look at the text and charts on pages 16-19 on population assessments.

http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1428.pdf

ewest, I think you have said it all when you said there is "no always straight forward clear answer", when it comes to sampling or managing program. I am guessing that is what makes it a challenge when managing a trophy lmb pond. When I look around, I see where E fishing may not show what's there or not there, water to clear or to deep or etc, and it is costly. Seining shows spawns and not so much a ratio. Fishing tells you of the hungry or easy to catch fish and most likely not show you what is really there. Wr/Rw shows the fish are good but only shows u need to catch up when things are below the desired. And so that could put u behind the game plan and playing catch up. Ha ha, and I thought ponds were easy, when I was just a fisherman.
Thanks for the info guys.

Tracy