Ken, maybe it's time to invest in a modified fyke net? I've caught both CC and RBT in a fyke net when doing population studies in a pond.
I prefer the modified to a regular because it won't roll around on the pond bottom, and it's easier to tell whether the top side is actually "up" or if it rolled as it was getting placed in the water.
Scott -- I did a number of internet searches on fyke nets. Are your referring to the D-shaped nets?
Anyway, you've got me seriously thinking about springing for one. I don't know what is happening in my main pond.
I no longer really have an idea of what is in it. I'm not seeing
any YOY this season. But, I can see a number of spawning beds that look like they were used. I had pretty high and turbid water into early July, so I couldn't see what was going on in the spawning areas.
Probably because of the catfish, my water remains rather turbid. However, this time of year I usually seed many schools of different age YOY in the pond edge weeds in that pond. I'm seeing any. My put-and-take HBG/CC pond is full of YOY from yolk sac to about 1-inch -- probably from the trash fish I got a few years ago. (I've recently been adding 5-7 inch LMB to that pond)
I also don't have a clue where the fish go in the main pond when they hide. I have a portable Humminbird side-scanning fish finder that seems to work pretty well. There were a couple of days last week when I scoured the entire pond and got extremely few hits. I was also using some lines baited with fresh worms. Absolutely nothing.
That evening at feeding time, the usual crew showed up to eat, and fish finder was going crazy when attached to the end of my dock. So, I know the fish finder is working.
Minnow traps baited with cheese, bread, fish pellets, etc., have brought in nothing.
Oh well.
