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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 35
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OP
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 35 |
Stocked my 1.5 acre pond with 2,000 CNG/RES, 6,000 FHM, and 150 F1 LMB in November 2015. Feeding pellets to the bluegill but not much in winter. My family is begging to start fishing. I don't plan on culling for several years but does it matter when catch and release for bass and bluegill begins? My goal is as big a bass I can get in a small pond. Thanks.
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,864 Likes: 298 |
Stocked my 1.5 acre pond with 2,000 CNG/RES, 6,000 FHM, and 150 F1 LMB in November 2015. Feeding pellets to the bluegill but not much in winter. My family is begging to start fishing. I don't plan on culling for several years but does it matter when catch and release for bass and bluegill begins? My goal is as big a bass I can get in a small pond. Thanks. Hey, Pondwish. I'm hardly an expert, but until they show up... If your goal is a really big LMB, I'd consider taking out perhaps a third of the bass before they spawn. Obviously these would be the smaller, skinnier bass that have below average relative weights. The reason is that big bass are more likely when there are 20 or 30 BG for each bass, rather than 14 to one the way it is now. And if you can tell if the LMB is male, they should be culled in preference to female. Females get much larger. Keep feeding those BG. Best of luck!
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
Catch and release, I would suggest using barbless hooks. needle nose pliers can pinch the barb down. I am no expert with growing fish in ponds, but I do know lmb learn not to bite, so catch and release could slow down your lmb fishing/catching over a period of time. But most all of us catch and release. I use a nymph fly on my fly rod to catch the cnbg. it has not slowed the bite down, but that may be due to the number of cnbg in the pond.  Tracy
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 35
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OP
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 35 |
Thanks for the input above! I am wondering, do you think my bass will spawn this spring? I didn't think they would reach sexual maturity until one year. Also, I have been wondering if it makes a difference how much total water volume and bottom surface area is present in a pond. It seems that a deep pond with a lot of contour changes on the bottom would support more fish than a shallow bowl shaped pond with the same surface area. Is this accurate or does surface area only matter?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,508 Likes: 829
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,508 Likes: 829 |
Generally speaking it's just surface area. What do you consider "deep"?
If the pond is deep, will there be enough dissolved O2 below 8'-10' to support fish in water temperatures above 70-75 degrees?
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,051 Likes: 277
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,051 Likes: 277 |
PW, what area of Texas?
My PERSONAL advice is to let them fish. Remember the old saying "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy".
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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