Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations size of YOY and year old LMB??

Trying to gauge what all I have. I know when I catch one of the 10 LMB I stocked late last year, but I'm wondering how big my YOY LMB should be this year and the fingerling stockers I stocked last July. The water is in great shape and I would say they have plenty of forage with GSF, BG, and RES. Lots of frogs also. I do feed my BG but hand fed last year and just got my feeder going this July. From the growth of the little skinny 8-10" LMB I stocked last fall I would think they were doing well.

Just looking for an avg, I know it all depends, but on avg, YOY LMB middle to late Aug in southern Arkansas and LMB that would be about 14 months old.

THanks in advance guys! Let me know what other information you need. None are feed trained, the 10 skinny ones from last fall came from my uncles gravel pit, the fingerlings come from Arkansas Pond Stockers, and the YOY I'm wondering about would have come from the 10 skinny LMB from the gravel pit.

You are right , it depends on what they have to eat, and were the skinny ones old enough to spawn. If they did then I would guess that they would be 2-6" if they got grub. Just a WAG. Seems like the first ones grow the best if food is there

Okay, so a 6-9 maybe 10" would probably last years stockers? I have caught probably 8 that size.

The skinny ones were old enough I would think. The smallest was just below 10, biggest being almost 12" There were 10 of them. So if they did spawn and had plenty to eat, we are talking less than 6" right now. I think they answers the question. The little ones my daughter was catching must have been last years. She was catching them really shallow, less than a foot of water and right up on the shore, less than 6 ft out. Just trying to get classes in my mind.

Thanks!

Peach I'm confused.... you put in 10 that were skinny .... and they spawned this year right ? Then last year you stocked fingerlings.... that's the fish that you posted pix of.

My YOY LMB are bout 3-4" now

I stocked our pond last July 8th. I stocked 25LMB, 200BG, 50RES, 10#FHM. At that time I did not know about the GSF. I had not thought about it until I had started reading on here. Well I was pretty disappointed about the fact that I had GSF in the pond and had read on a thread here about adding a few larger LMB in the 10" range to start eating on the GSF. So in the fall, around Oct I think, I added 10LMB in the 10" range from my uncles gravel pit. He has very little forage for them so they were skinny. When I say skinny I mean they weren't the fish you see on here. They were probably what you would see in most farm ponds that do not get managed. He doesn't allow anyone to remove any from the gravel pit. Its great for kids I guess because they can catch a bunch of fish, but most are them are skinny if using the RW charts.

I was simply curious if the fish my daughter was catching earlier this summer were the ones I stocked last year, or maybe the YOY of those 10 LMB. I figured they would have spawned this year but I'm not for sure. I haven't posted any pics of LMB. Just a few GSF when I still thought they were BG. lol

I'm concerned about your stocking ratio of BG/LMB. That's only 8 to 1 and the LMB, although stocked small, could run out of groceries.

I thought that same thing...but it was after the fact. I thought that maybe next year I would start removing every LMB we catch under 10 or 12". They have plenty to eat...the ones I have caught are in very nice shape. I have not checked RW yet, but hope to. Should I start removing this year you think? I want to get some adult BG to try to bolster the population. I'm afraid many of the 250 got creamed by GSF when they were stocked. I know I lost at least 5 of the 25 stocked LMB. I'm not after trophies. I'm looking for pretty balanced with a some nice fish...maybe 4-8lbs bass...8 maybe pushing it. Some decent BG, but I know if I want bass of that size I'll probably never have huge BG. I'm curious to see how the GSF fair. I'm hoping to add 50 or so adult BG per year until I start seeing some.

You said you were concerned with the 8 to 1. What about the GSF? I'm literally loaded with them. All sizes. I'm guessing thats what they are feasting on. Something, I'm guessing GSF are making beds nearly all summer. I rarely do not see beds. Infact I can't remember the last time I didnt see beds around my shore since they started in the spring.

Thanks for your help!

growth seems like about 1" per month, if food is available.

Brian, wouldn't that be during the warm months? Wouldn't it fall off during the winter? At what age does growth normally seem to slow, given that forage and conditions are favorable?

Thanks

Yes, I think in 65 plus degree water. How long the growing season depends on how far south and how early and long it stays warm. We had spawns in February this year.

Yeah, we haven't had a good winter in a long time. Fruit trees bloomed very early here in SW Arkansas also.