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Just competed a 2.5 acre lake, 18 feet deep near dam, 10-12 throughout.....watershed lake that has ove 50 acres of shed feeding it — lots of fresh water every rain above and 1”.
Our end in mind is to have a fishing lake for bass and bluegill and to have recreational beach and swimming.
What are the best methods, size and number to stock for a LMB and BG fishing lake for years to come. Want to do it right the first time and am not impatient but rather want it done the BEST way to attain a great LMB and BG fishing lake.
Should I start this fall? Wait for the Spring? All suggestions welcome.
Thanks in advance guys!
Last edited by Chris Williams; 09/23/18 11:56 AM.
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Joined: May 2014
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,861 Likes: 298 |
No expert here, but in your neck of the wood I'd begin with fathead minnows, then add BG and pumpkinseed (they eat snails that carry parasites). Add bass next year after BG spawn.
Re watershed, you have a 20 to 1 ratio to pond surface. In Indiana, I suspect you only need half that, which means you will need really good ways to get rid of excess water without excessive erosion. Emergency spillway will get lots of use, hope you did a better job than I did with mine!
Last edited by anthropic; 09/23/18 12:42 PM.
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: May 2009
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Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281 |
Getting the pond thick with FHM is a great start so that the young predators are well fed and grow fast. For me, this also gives time for emergent plants and water lilies to get going to give cover for fry. I like adding some RES along with other subordinate predators like BG or YP since they do not overpopulate and specialize in eating snails. BG are nippers, so some swimmers may not like these. My kids did not care about them, but some of their friends acted like they were piranhas and would not swim. The FHM in my newest pond are building very slowly, but the pond is a clay bowl and I am not feeding.
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Joined: Apr 2002
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112 Likes: 478 |
BG generally do not bite people swimmers as much when the BG are not overpopulated and natural food items are plentiful. If you are in mid to southern IN, redears will survive and do well, although they have only limited reproduction which can mean you can start with more of them than 50/acre. RES do a good job of controlling fish parasites from wading birds for good clean fish fillets. Yellow perch are an option but generally are not a main panfish with LMB present. YP do better long term with HSB and/or SMB as the primary predator rather than LMB. Slender YP are too easy for LMB to catch and swallow compared to BG. SMB are overpowered by bully LMB so SMB do not last longer than a few years in ponds when LMB are present. For goals of general fishing, you can stock fingerling panfish and bass in fall when it helps to stock higher numbers of FHM to compensate for not having a summer period of FHM spawning that produces tens of thousands of FHM. The quality of the fishery long term will depend on your selective harvest methods to maintain proper balance of panfish and predators. Read through some of the previous posts for numbers of BG:LMB to stock in new northern ponds. The ratio tends to be different compared to southern ponds and ones goals. Use google to search for Pond boss forum bluegill to bass stocking ratio northern ponds You will find lots of stocking suggestions on this forum all based on ones goals for the pond. Do your homework and decide on goals before pulling the trigger. Here is a starter recent thread. http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=495415
Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/23/18 06:43 PM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: May 2009
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Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
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Bill - My experience and recollection from reading, is that BG often bite moles and the nipples of male swimmers. I wonder, if like some birds, ponds with frequent wildlife swimmers present an opportunity for for fish to remove ticks from animals? They may mistakenly think they are targeting ticks when they bite swimmers. I would say that bites in our pond were not common, but my son always seemed to attract them, but did not really care even when they drew blood. He also chased down swimming northern water snakes when swimming to "play with them". No poisonous snakes in our neck of the woods, but that may change as things heat up. We have copperheads a bit south of us.
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112 Likes: 478
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,112 Likes: 478 |
I think the sunfish types are biting swimmers for two main reasons: 1. the body hairs of swimmers look like midge larvae and aquatic worms common in every body of water; 2. the body moles on lighter skin look like snails which many sunfish select as food items. As natural food items become in short supply the fish get braver due to hunger and approach swimmers. Inactive or idle lounging swimmers will be bothered by fish more than active swimmers.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/24/18 07:45 AM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Oct 2013
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,903 Likes: 109 |
Our HBG are pretty aggressive towards swimmers. (I should say “floaters). If you are actually swimming and moving around they will seldom hit you, but if you grab a noodle and just float there for a few minutes, they’ll find you. If I wear a t-shirt and get away from the dock, they aren’t nearly as bad.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714 Likes: 281 |
In my case, we may have trained the BG to investigate swimmers. I feed from the dock intermittently by hand. My dogs often accompany me to the pond and the oldest male German Shepherd gets upset when I feed the fish and barks viciously and finally jumps off the dock and tries to eat the fish food off the water surface to keep the fish from getting it (does not work, but I need to get a video). When the BG hear the barking, they gather, even before any food is provided, and they know to swim with the dog to get their share once he jumps in. I suppose, they associate the commotion with feeding time which might include human swimmers.
Last edited by RAH; 09/25/18 08:10 AM.
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OP
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Here is where I netted out on my stocking 800 BG 400 LMB 250 RES 100 HBG Like 80 pounds of FHM
Hope to be catching nice fish in Summer of 2020
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Joined: Jul 2015
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Joined: Jul 2015
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Seems high on the bass. I thought I read on hear you want a 1 to 20 ratio of bass to bluegill. But I could be wrong. Give the FHM and BG a year head start before you put bass in.
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