Wanting advice on YP removal. My 1 acre SMP/YP/GSH pond seems to have many small YP. The pond was stocked in consecutive years with 10 SMB per year and I tried fishing last summer for a very short time and caught a 14"+ SMB and then stopped fishing to prevent any injury to my few stockers. I also caught a 6-7" GSH (on a small hard bait). I saw/see many small fish (1-3") along the banks so assumed their was plenty of food for everything (good amount of plant and brush cover). A couple heavy rain events pushed a couple hundred 4-6" YP out the tube last spring/summer as well (I returned what survived to pond). My neighbor just ice fished and caught about a half dozen small YP. I have a breeding population of YP and wonder if there is any harm in removing as many as I can fishing to help prevent stunting? I know this is limited information, but I am lucky to have a neighbor who will follow directions so if I give him a maximum number or size instructions, he will follow them. Would adding 10 HSB cause any problems for the SMB or help by limiting egg stealing? Recommendations are appreciated.
Last edited by RAH; 01/13/18 09:15 AM.
