Chris:
That was an interesting read! How is the fishery now?
It is going pretty successfully right now. The GSF have gone from an average of 2-4" last year, to 6-7" this year with a RW of 115% to 130%. The bass, both LMB and SMB, are getting good recruitment and the couple that I have weighed this year, are around 120% RW. The YP are a little iffy, though. I have only caught a few this year, and they were around 8-10" and fairly skinny (they could have been males, though). I haven't seen any YP egg strands in the pond, but I did catch a 4" one and seen some fry, so hopefully they are on their way to better recruitment.
I am wondering what kind of effect I will have on the RW, by not stocking the tilapia this year. I am planning on stocking them next year, again, but only for the purpose of forage.
The owner was asking about GC or Tilapia, but as of yet he doesn't have any submerged weeds. All the ponds are constructed with steeper slopes, 3:1 and are in sandy soil in the old Kankakee Marsh Basin.
Those are very similar pond conditions to my own. I had zero submerged weeds when I stocked my GC, but I put in two of them just to help keep things in control, and they have done a perfect job, so far. I have some submerged weeds, but a good amount, IMO. I think that one of the more successful things I have done (or not done) is let nature take care of the areas right around the shoreline. This has created a riparian environment, and when my water levels are high during the spring and early summer, the YOY fry and minnows have a nice area to hide and grow, and then by the time the water levels fall in late summer, I have built up a decent forage base for the predators.
Pond 1 is by the future home site. 1 to 1 3/4 ac Currently stocked with FHM, GSH, Gams and RES. It will be used for swimming and fishing. While he isn't opposed to using chemicals to control aquatic growth, he'd prefer to limit it's use. I've met his kids, and I believe FA would be more of a detriment to swimming than submerged weeds.
If the FA gets out of control, it's hard to find anything better than the tilapia, IMO.
Pond 2 is nearby. Roughly 1 to 1 1/4 ac. Stocked with FHM, GSH, Gams and RES
Pond 3 will be approx. 100' away from Pond 1, and is being constructed in a low area of the woods that normally holds surface water and is a mosquito breeding magnet.
If he has other ponds available, especially a forage pond, he should be able to have a lot better control over his main ponds.
I doubt that the RES pulled off a spawn this year, they were stocked about a month ago, and were mostly 4" long.
I know that RES aren't supposed to have a rolling spawn like BG, but the RES in my pond have made beds right before the full moon in both June and July. My RES are 8"-9" in size, possibly larger.
Very interesting. How deep of water are they bedding in?
He visited the property recently, and only saw GSH around the pond edges. I know that Kingfishers and both Green & Blue Herons are on the property. He was concerned that he didn't see any Gams or FHM. I doubt that they all disappeared due to the lack of fish predators in the ponds.
I would agree that they haven't disappeared. Does he have anything for the FHM to spawn on?
