We originally stocked our newly constructed 1.5 acre pond located in Iowa with 150 3-4 inch largemouth bass and 450 2-3 inch bluegill (not hybrid) in the spring of 2007.
In 2008, I added 100 3-4 inch smallmouth bass and 50 5-6 inch walleye in 2010. These fish I added just as “bonus fish” and realize they will compete with the bass, and will not successfully reproduce. I am just hoping for a little variety when ice fishing.
For the past two years, I have removed every bluegill that I have caught under 8 inches (most fish removed are 4-7 inches). If I had to guess, we maybe remove 200-300 bluegill per year. My thought process is that I will remove the small fish, leaving less competition for the larger bluegill so they can continue to grow.
If my goal is to have larger bluegill in the pond, is this a smart approach? Is there a better way to accomplish this? In my mind, I don’t feel we would ever “fish out” the pond, and rid it of bluegill. They seem to spawn very well and very successfully.
My largemouth bass population ranges from 3 inches to 17 inches. If I want fewer, larger largemouth bass, should I just make a goal and remove “X” number of pounds of largemouth annually too? Always remove the 8- 14 inchers?
I’m just trying to maximize our small pond’s potential and would appreciate any advice you may have.
