Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Cage Raising some Buegill and Red Ear?

Need some advice Guy's and Gals. (I know I'm in the right place)

I'll start with goals.
First goal is already completed of owning my own pond.
Basically I want a diverse fishery that myself and family can just enjoy. Not looking to create trophy anything but the occasional large fish of any species would just be icing on the cake. Do want to have regular table fare. Don't mind actively managing but don't have money running out my ears.

Pond spec's and History:
Built in 2006 (by previous owner)
Just under 10 acres
Deepest part 20' I'd guess and overall average of around 8-10'
No aeration (maybe someday) Gets pretty good wind movement)
When asked previous owner if it was stocked he said "My boys through some bluegill from one of our other pond in there".
Seemed to correlate to what would be caught in the first year. Few nice HBG and lots of GSF.
Southern Naiad was really thick in the cove's bottom to surface. Maybe 15 to 20% of pond.
We purchased in Fall of 2010.
I put about 30 LMB 6-8" in from another pond in the spring of 2011. I let a buddy put 50 BCP around that same time (I know what your thinking)
Added 30 Grass Carp in Fall of 2012. They have subsequently wiped the Southern Naiad out. (I know what your thinking).
Moved into pole barn at pond in Oct. 2014 with plan to start house spring 2017.
Now that were on site and I might have a little time this summer before starting the house I'm finally getting to address some pond items. Been adding structure this spring.
What I know about what's in there at this point. bass up to 5 lbs. Black Crappie up to 2 lbs. Not near as many HBG or GSF or Reg.BG as used to catch. Any small bass or Crappie caught comes out at this point.
Wanting to add some BG , RES and HSB in the future.
Planning to remove some Grass Carp this summer and keep adding structure.
The question in all of this is :Can I /should I /Good Idea /Bad Idea. Cage raise some The BG,RES and HSB (separately of course). To be able to buy More cheaper and raise to a larger hopefully more survivable size.
Someday would like to have a small forage pond but that's way down the road.
If you all think its a good idea:
How big of cages should I build, How many fish in each, How long before releasing etc......
Any thoughts or better ideas would be much appreciated.
I'm sure I've left some critical info out too so ask away.

PS. Really really really not too fond of killing and starting over before someone suggest it. Thanks in advance for any and all input.
Rob

See these threads about blocking net method.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=52295&page=1

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post155141

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=68480&fpart=1

Just remember the round cages suck. Right Bill?

Cecil is trying to be funny. Round cages are okay, many think better than boxes. Cage raising fish is not as easy as it sounds. One can kill a lot of fish learning how to cage raise a few fish. See below for past PBoss discussions about fish in cages.

Restarting a fishery in 9-10 acres is a big task you do not want to do. Lots of work and cost involved. Your current fishery is more complex due to crappie and a several bigger bass (2-5lb) with too few forage fish which is why you said "Not near as many HBG or GSF or Reg.BG as used to catch."

Achieving a balance in it as it exists will be a definite challenge. Catching grass carp sounds much easier than it is. If you had 20% coverage of naiad then about 20% is shallow likely less than 5ft deep. IMO it will be difficult to add enough structure in 10 ac to make it useful as fish refuge to protect small fish. Most all of it will become fish attractors and ambush points for the bass. Without weeds where are the nursery-refuge areas for small BG? Ideally it takes 20-30% of the pond to be effective. Develop an adequate feeding program to help compensate.

Fish In Cages - various discussion links.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showgallery&Number=328176
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=304501
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=129073
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=104020
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=11750
http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/rearing-bass.html
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/116055-fish-cage-ideas.html
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=219337


Other good reading material is three articles by Bill Cody in PBoss Magazine Back Issues:
http://www.pondboss.com/store.asp?c=9
Caged Fish on a Small Scale – Part I. Pond Boss 15(5): 40-42. 2007 (Mar-Apr).
Caged Fish on a Small Scale – Part Deux. Pond Boss 15(6): 40-42. 2007 (May-Jun).
Caged Fish on a Small Scale – Part III. Pond Boss 16(1): 38-40 (Jul-Aug).

ewest ,
Thanks , Love the blocking net idea much better than the cage idea. I've got a great place I could implement this in but one question. How are the Bass "Driven out" of the netted area?

Bill,
Appreciate the feedback and agree completely that I have a "Big Task" at hand. Had a buddy that always said "If your gonna be a bear........Be a Grizzly".
But back on task. based on your comments it sounds like it might be best for me to abort the adding structure at this time part. Try and get rid of as many grass carp as possible. (planning to try the night time bow fishing method)so as to get some more habitat established. I didn't mention earlier that the back of the four coves do have pretty good areas of cattails that extend out a ways.(30-40') And lastly are you suggesting trying to start a feeding program now? Thanks again guys.

If you maneuver a boat with some splashing in the blocking net area right before setting the blocking net, it should chase out almost all, if not all the bass from that area. If there are only one or two small bass in with the stocker fish the loss will be low and minimal which could be accounted for by stocking some extra fish. Also in most all instances the bass behind the blocking should be or likely will be small fingerling size (3"-5") and if larger stocker fish (2"-4") are added predation should be minimal.

Also if you use the blocking net to half hardily seine the area before installing the blocking net, few if any bass should be trapped behind the blocking net.

Just make sure the blocking net is weighted enough at the bottom to rest firmly and completely on the bottom of the pond, from above the water to above the water on both sides of the net. Having it hung up on something that is 12"-18" above the bottom of the pond wouldn't do you much good.

I tried the blocking net thing and it was a dismal failure. Perhaps the heavy chain was not enough weight, but within a day I had brook and brown trout I was trying to seperate together.

I have pics I can post if anyone is interested.

Apparently the fish just burrowed under the net.


If I was to try it again I would weight AND trench the bottom of the net when the pond was drained.

Cecil, when I did my blocking net for my SMB I zip tied the the bottom of the net to the steel fence posts before driving the posts into the pond bottom, the posts were pounded past the zip ties into the pond bottom. This kept the bottom of the net stretched tight against the bottom of the pond, I did not use any weights at all to keep the net held against the bottom and it worked really well.

R&R I missed your post. The best way to get all/most of the fish out of the area to be blocked off is reverse seining.
Start at the shore and seine out to the location the net will be placed.

CB1 after I set the net (it had extra weights)I added bricks at a few locations along the bottom. No problems from burrowers but I did not have trout.

A better method than a net is rigid plastic netting using poles and zip ties.

Makes sense!

The plastic netting sounds like it would work better than what I used. I do wonder how difficult it would be to use in my steep sided trout pond though? Perhaps not?