Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Do some fish just stay small?

I stocked 60 SMB in Oct of 2015. I caught several yesterday morning fishing a small bluegill like luer around the edges of the pond. Almost all the SMB were very fat. They've been like that all summer. Almost look ready to lay eggs. When handling them at all the waste shoots all over the boat. So I really think they are eating well. Lots of glass shrimp everywhere, plus FHM, GSH, and my HBG spawned. I was just a little surprised that they weren't larger. I should have had a tape measure with me, but forgot it. Here's what they look like. I'm wondering if I've just got some shorter ones genetically. Like, I am 6'5" and one of my best friends is about 5'8". We are just different heights. Are fish the same?

Yes, you will have some "shooters" and some average, and a few runts. My average CC is now about three pounds, but we have caught them from 1 pound 14 oz all the way up to 5 pounds even.

Smallies just don't grow like LMB just to be clear.

Would you say that fish is 12" or so?

Also, how big were they in Oct. '15 which is less than two years ago?

That fish might have been 12". They were 4-8" when they were stocked 10/10/15.
They were tiny to my untrained and inexperienced eye.
I'm fine with the idea of runts etc.. I have caught some that were quite a bit bigger than the one pictured, but lately the majority of them have been that size. I am fine with waiting to see if they do get bigger. I'm just hoping that this isn't as big as they will get.

The Smallies appear plump and in very good condition. The smaller ones you are catching now would be those 4" ones that were stocked. If they keep getting ample food expect them to grow more each year. They are a good size for 2yr maybe 3yr old smallies. Keep records on paper of their length each year and you will see how well the original stockers grow. Expect to see small SMB enter the catches next year. Your smallies likely spawned this spring.

Will do. Good to hear. Everything is still new to me.
Thanks

Your fish stalker looks to be a bit suspect.

Were any trees by your access road damaged during that fish stocking?

Give it a few years.

17". I'll wait for that! My concern was that they were "grown up" that they were as "long" as they were going to get. My buddy referred to earlier has three sons, they are all well below 6'. I have two sons, they are both well over 6'. I'm thinking fish, and lots of animals, don't have they same variation.

And yes, I ended up with a new road around the pond. There were a few trees destroyed in the process! Ha! It may look like a pickup, but it's a tank!

Of course I was taking cheap shots at Rex Rains.

That is Rex in the picture, right?

Ha! Absolutely. He brought in RES, YP, GSH, SMB, and HSB.. Plus did an alum treatment! He's been by my pond more than a few times. His driving exploits are legendary..
(I would never give him a hard time about it though)

Shorty, how old do you think that SMB is?
Thx

I am not sure, I think that might be on of TJ's babies or one that hatched in my pond in 2012. I do have a few SMB in the 18"+ plus size range from my initial stocking. My pond is small, 1/4 acre, so I am not sure they will get much bigger than 18".

Shorty keep them well fed and healthy with lots of the right sized foods and they WILL get bigger providing they are not overcrowded. You should be able to get them to at least 20" (5 lbs); if not you have done something wrong. What is the maximum age they are this year?.

They really only had one full growing season, so I would think that is within the normal range, but I'm far from an expert. They won't grow much at all thru the winter, so it probably wasn't much different than a 4/2016 stocking.

I stocked 20 5-8" SMB in the fall of 2011, most were 5-6" with only 3 larger than 6" but some grew enough to pull off an unexpected spawn the following spring in 2012. I also feed trained and stocked and additional 47 SMB that I got from TJ in the spring of 2012, those were hatched in 2011. Maximum age this year should be six years. I have lost few SMB a couple of times so I don't think they currently are overcrowded, my SMB really don't seem to keeping GSH numbers in check and they have plenty of food.

Shorty - I expect non pellet eating SMB to live at least 9-10 years and if you are lucky some will live 11-12 years. Hopefully you can record their growth rates with lengths and weights of them living in your pond.

Shortay, just in case there's any chance you need a translation on Cody's message......"start keeping accurate growth/weight records now. Now."

I don't know if mine are getting over to the feeder or not. I'm sure some do. I'm not feeding all that much. The feeder runs for 8 seconds, and the food is cleaned up in about 2 minutes. Mostly YP and HBG feeding from what I can tell.
Will they not live as long if they are getting fed?
I'd love to see some get to five pounds. I'm in no hurry to harvest any. Only kept one because my grandson was so excited about it.
Hopefully they'll still be "catchable" in four or five more years.

I guess I could start keeping growth and weight records also...

Thx

"I guess I could start keeping growth and weight records also..."

Well....do you want Cody on your ass about it?

Don't mess with my second Mom, Sunil! I'd threaten to accidentally leave Bullhead or greenies in your pond, but you already have some , uhm, disrespected species present. Perhaps a snapper and exlax???

Setterguy, your SMB were 4-6" and measured very close to 5" when stocked.

Ya guys - we need some good records about life span and maximum size of of smallies in ponds. Yes IMO when the bass are regularly eating pellets they are getting too many carbohydrates compared to natural foods and these carbs shortens their life span, although I have no real data for this theory. I know for a fact my yellow perch do not live as long eating pellets as when YP do not eat pellets.

How big could CC get if fed all the pellets they want and you only had say, five CC in a 1/4 acre pond and no other fish but FHM?

Well, I sure like catching them. I'll get a good scale and an easy way to get a measurement. And collect some data. I think I said 4-8" earlier, Rex corrected me, I guess they were 4-6". Should be 59 left from that original stocking in Oct of 2015. If I've had any recruitment, I haven't hooked one, nor caught any in a trap. I tracked water loss for a year to calculate my leak rate, and that wasn't near as fun as tracking SMB!

Well, I screwed up. I didn't get a good scale, and a board set up to measure fish. At the last moment my wife said let's try to go to the farm. She's coming off of hip replacement surgery. Well, you only have to say that to me once. We were on the road minutes later.
I did take the chance to toss a lure or two after the SMB. They were hammering the BG look alike lures about a foot deep near structure or the bank.

I just didn't measure or weigh a single one.. I'll be ready next time. I didn't want to make them hook shy, but I was having the most fun fishing on my pond ever. They were jumping, and fighting like I've never seen them. As a matter of fact, most got off with a LDR (long distance release) Throwing the hook while jumping. I was hooting and hollering like a little kid.
I did take one pic.
One question as I haven't caught many, do SMB have somewhat of a musky smell? I noticed it after I had caught several. Maybe they were relieving themselves on me more than I noticed. But there was a pretty significant odor. Pretty much anywhere on the pond. All the way around, not just by the feeder.
Probably had a dozen on. Got half to the boat.



Sure hope you guys in TX are doing ok. Been Praying for you all..