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Aside from the advantages for the fishery, feeding is incredibly entertaining. My wife & grandkids have a blast watching the fish do their thing right next to them on the dock. So do I! grin

Last edited by anthropic; 12/10/18 10:45 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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Was deer hunting this morning and walked by the pond just after the feeder went off. The fish were feeding which surprised me. I thought it was too cold. I had one bag of feed left so I dumped it into the feeder and increased the times.


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.

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I enjoy watching the fish in my pond feed also even though I don't feed. I see or hear that sound of a LMB gobbling up some poor unsuspecting BG. Every time I hear that I think well got one less fish out there cause someone got ate. I am glad to see it though cause it means I have fish and they are doing what fish do.

Last edited by bigpullerman; 12/13/18 08:19 PM.

Nothing like seeing your bobber bobbing.
1 acre pond with LMB BG GSF BH CC and whatever else I can find
Not after trophies I just like catching and eating fish
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Originally Posted By: bigpullerman
Snipe I don't catch many GSF in my pond. The ones I get come from a drainage ditch close by and are only 2-3" so I really think I am just feeding my LMB when I dump em in. I have only caught some BG-GSF hybrids. I don't catch much of any small BG either. . .


bigpullerman,

What would you say the typical size of your BG is?

If you often catch BG in the 9"+ range those are great bluegill and reflect what many BOW's "settle to" with age. It is a sustainable condition where LMB less than 12" do very well and larger LMB struggle with declining RW. This is very common and even highly desired by some but it all boils down to what you have and what you might rather have. If you like large BG you would want to exclude <12" LMB from harvest. Harvesting LMB larger than this size should allow more BG YOY to make it to adulthood giving you more BG to catch thought these BG might not reach the same ultimate size you have been catching. The same goes for the CC. >5lb CC eat decent sized BG. Removing some of them will allow more BG YOY to make it to adulthood.

If you don't want to remove larger predators like LMB and CC, their may be other options like cage/pen raising some BG or HBG that are to big for the LMB and CC to eat. The smallest of the size you frequently catch would be this length.

Knowing that you like to eat fish you should consider this. A pond has a carrying capacity and a production capacity. Once a pond reaches carrying capacity it will only produce as much as the mortality. This may sound counterintuitive ... but ... the way to produce more fish to eat is to harvest more fish to eat. When you harvest a fish you make more food available to others that will grow to fill the freed capacity. When you are harvesting what the pond will produce you have optimized production.

Last edited by jpsdad; 12/13/18 06:03 PM.

It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers


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Thanks jpsdad

The few BG HBG I catch are around 8". I am going off memory as I haven't caught any since I started my pond journal. All the HBG that I have ever caught were naturally occurring as I have never bought any fish to put in the pond. About 5 yrs ago I started taking out all LMB and BCP that I caught and put back all others. I would fish around the neighborhood and all BG GSF CC BH that I caught I put in my pond. This year I started keeping all LMB CC and any large enough to eat GSF HBG. Basically anything with a big mouth. I have continued to add the previously mentioned fish. This year we started catching some big CC so I see where that is a problem. The problem I have is that I don't fish it enough. My pond went neglected for almost 20 yrs with just occasional fishing. Now I been working on it and fishing it a lot more. I have just got to catch more fish and get more data in my journal. This forum is been a wealth of info and continues to be. I really appreciate all the responses and the knowledge that everyone has passed on. My goal is to catch lots of fish mainly BG GSF so the grandkids can have some fun. I don't want that cricket in the water over a minute without something getting it. I have thrown some crickets out and I didn't see anything get em so something is out of wack. One of my buddies told me about a fishing trip they made and a cricket got out of the boat and was headed for a log about 25' away. They was watching to see if it made it, it did so they left cause there couldn't have been any BG in there. I don't want any cricket to feel safe in my pond.


Nothing like seeing your bobber bobbing.
1 acre pond with LMB BG GSF BH CC and whatever else I can find
Not after trophies I just like catching and eating fish
Buddy R Hill


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If you're killing anything with a big mouth, don't ask me to go fishing!


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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hahahahahahaha No you're good along with myself. I have been told I have a big mouth.


Nothing like seeing your bobber bobbing.
1 acre pond with LMB BG GSF BH CC and whatever else I can find
Not after trophies I just like catching and eating fish
Buddy R Hill


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anthropic #499666 12/14/18 11:13 AM
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Originally Posted By: anthropic
If you're killing anything with a big mouth, don't ask me to go fishing!


Man I'm dense!

It took bigpullerman's response before I "got it". crazy

Last edited by snrub; 12/14/18 11:14 AM.

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A cricket thrown into my older, clear, pond usually lasts from 1-3 seconds.

snrub #499679 12/14/18 03:48 PM
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Originally Posted By: snrub
Originally Posted By: anthropic
If you're killing anything with a big mouth, don't ask me to go fishing!


Man I'm dense!

It took bigpullerman's response before I "got it". crazy


John don’t be hard on yourself...... I did the same for a few mins....

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Originally Posted By: John Fitzgerald
A cricket thrown into my older, clear, pond usually lasts from 1-3 seconds.


You know, John, neither me nor my guests have ever tried live bait on my BOW yet. Even my grandkids use lures. I'll have to try out crickets this spring.


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




anthropic #499699 12/15/18 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted By: anthropic
Originally Posted By: John Fitzgerald
A cricket thrown into my older, clear, pond usually lasts from 1-3 seconds.


You know, John, neither me nor my guests have ever tried live bait on my BOW yet. Even my grandkids use lures. I'll have to try out crickets this spring.


I have caught LMB CC BG GSF Trout Shad and Gar on crickets. I think fish look at crickets like it's a Reese pieces.


Nothing like seeing your bobber bobbing.
1 acre pond with LMB BG GSF BH CC and whatever else I can find
Not after trophies I just like catching and eating fish
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Does anyone aerate and not feed? A lot of reading about how getting the DO level up in all the water produces more forage if I am correct. Also have read about floating islands with the plants roots in the water helping out the forage. I am going to come up with a bug killing contraption to put over the edge of the pond as we have an unlimited supply of bugs. Have read about beetle trap feeders and wonder what other kinds of bugs will be attracted to it. Still thinking about the pk shrimp if I can find some around my area. Have also thought about gambusia also. Any thoughts on these ideas?


Nothing like seeing your bobber bobbing.
1 acre pond with LMB BG GSF BH CC and whatever else I can find
Not after trophies I just like catching and eating fish
Buddy R Hill


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Once other fish are established, the gams are quick snacks.


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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Originally Posted By: Dave Davidson1
Once other fish are established, the gams are quick snacks.


My little pond is going on 3 y/o now. GAMs have been in it for at least 2 years. With BG, GSF, WM and a few RES as their primary threat, they've managed to maintain a fairly resilient population so far. I've recently seen several with the distinctive black spawning spot on their abdomens recently, so I expect a new batch any time now.

I've actually stopped feeding pellets for about 6 weeks now to force the panfish to predate some of the YOY and minnows, and the GAMs are holding their own.

Last edited by Mike Whatley; 02/26/19 07:28 PM.

.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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Originally Posted By: Dave Davidson1
Once other fish are established, the gams are quick snacks.


Snack but they will have to work at it to get those little fellers

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"I've actually stopped feeding pellets for about 6 weeks now to force the panfish to predate some of the YOY and minnows, and the GAMs are holding their own."

That brings up another issue I have thought about. If the fish are being fed plenty then wouldn't they be less likely to bite?

Last edited by bigpullerman; 02/26/19 07:59 PM.

Nothing like seeing your bobber bobbing.
1 acre pond with LMB BG GSF BH CC and whatever else I can find
Not after trophies I just like catching and eating fish
Buddy R Hill


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Originally Posted By: bigpullerman

"I've actually stopped feeding pellets for about 6 weeks now to force the panfish to predate some of the YOY and minnows, and the GAMs are holding their own."

That brings up another issue I have thought about. If the fish are being fed plenty then wouldn't they be less likely to bite?


Excluding other conditions, such as barometric pressure and water temp, which both affect how fish feed, I'd have to say that my catch ratio has improved since I've stopped feeding. It's hard to really say, tho, since I didn't fish the pond much previously. But it does seem as tho they are more prone to take a bait now. Could just be my imagination.


.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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That is what I would think. The fish get trained pretty quick as to when the feeder goes off so they go lay on the couch with a full belly till it is time to go eat. No much incentive to go chase something when they know the dinner bell is going to ring.


Nothing like seeing your bobber bobbing.
1 acre pond with LMB BG GSF BH CC and whatever else I can find
Not after trophies I just like catching and eating fish
Buddy R Hill


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Originally Posted By: bigpullerman
That brings up another issue I have thought about. If the fish are being fed plenty then wouldn't they be less likely to bite?


My newish pond definitely shows signs of "full bellies", but in an opposite direction from being feed pellets and not biting the hook. I believe that the overabundant FHM population (and other forage to a minor degree) has slowed the pellet feeding frenzy that folks talk about that have a more mature pond environment. This also accounts for the difficulty in catching them with the rod and reel. You would think that can o' worms would tear up the HBG in short order, but they are quite elusive due to their bellies being full of FHM's AND pellets. I expect the FHM population to diminish even further this year, the pellet feeding to increase, and the fishing to improve. The negative side might be that their amazing growth rate could diminish as well unless I decide to really pour the pellets to them. We'll see!


Fish on!,
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I cheat .... use the pellets in the inside of hook and bend hook to hold tension on pellet toss in and catch BG almost every time

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