ok...so if anyone was following in the corrective stocking forum, you all know the story. What i am looking for is a list of next steps. What would you do next?
for those of you who do not know the story, here goes....7.5 acre pond that certain homeowners in the community were saying had the symptoms of crowded bass. A large, 38" pike was introduced into the lake 2 years ago, and this past weekend, creel data showed a healthy population of pike between 15-21" long (by size should be 2 years old).
other species include BG's and LMB, Black crappie and at least a couple of walleye (one caught weighted in at 5lbs).
Crappie are enormous, bass are small, some very large bluegill as well. However, bass this winter seemed to be fattening up, even caught one at 19". Of the 40 bass caught, only 10 were kept because of their emaciated appearance, the rest were of size to put back in the lake. In previous years, including once this fall, all bass were skinny enough to want to keep out of the lake (10-12", less than 1lb).
Artificial cover is already in the works, however the extent of the addition might be an issue (but at least some will be added).
In the previous forum, a kind consultant pointed out that the pike are likely stunted as well, which is why there were none above the "2 year" size. Personally, i find this odd, i've been fishing this pond for 5 years, 2-5 times a year and never even seen a pike, but all of a sudden here they are...I don't know, you guys are the experts. It could easily be the case, I suppose, with enough bass, fishing could be overtaken with the bass catch, and the pike were just overlooked.
I have been considering improving forage. Although I don't know what i would add, Golden shiners, I guess. As of now i only know of a topminnow species, as well I will continue to cull the bass population, as they are in bad shape still (although improving). And I wonder if the healthy results i saw were only seasonal.
I'll use this post to put up pics of the BG species, as well as a topo map that6 i've been working on.
The goals that the HOA has for this lake is 2fold
1)fishery
a)largemouth
b)bluegill
c)crappie
d)walleye
e)pike
Pike and walleye would be tied. The reason they are last is because of the children who fish the lake, thier parents (the HOA) might be concerned about big, toothy monsters (:)).
2)a swimming, paddleboat lake
with the water as ridiculously clear as it is, and the springs at the bottom keeping it at a very cool temperature in the heat of summer, the swimming in the lake is a MUST. so no alligators
the HOA will call #1 & #2 equally important.
The goal is still improving the lmb population. Bigger, healthier fish. what the HOA will be scared of is raising the pike population. While a few, i doubt, would be an issue, it will still be scary to them. Case in point, the lake committee chairman came out while we were ice fishing this weekend, saw one of the pike and asked "what does that mean to the swimmers, are they in danger?" I don't think he was convinced that it would take a jaws-sized pike to not be scared off by a small child.
Thanks for any advice I can get. I hope to make a presentation to the HOA and the Lake Committee this spring.
