Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Opinions Wanted - Adding LMB to 3ac BCP Pond

I used to have these conversations with my father that has since passed and decided what better place to have it than here. I know this is going to be a little more different because my Dad was used to how I think and understood me better on my different ways. BTW the biggest reason I am putting in LMB (instead of another predator) is the handicapped event had a lot of request about LMB. This year I figure I can add C&R LMB for the event and I can replace the mortalities.

Bringing LMB to the party on the 3ac BCP pond. I added 5 of the 1# LMB cruisers YOY this weekend. Cruisers is what I call the LMB that I catch out away from structure in open waters. Also to me this allows me to get more aggressive fish by catching them on tackle.

1. My thinking is that with a lot of CC (CC are reproducing) & the BCP this will make the reproduction survival rate of LMB be pretty Low to near non existent. (opinions please)

2. Given I have a very high Biomass stocking with only deep water cover / structure the 1# YOY can start converting that into some fat belly LMB. I left a lot of last summers BG & CNBG so I am very plentiful with about 3" snacking forage. Also these LMB come from a pond that is very LMB heavy so that they self predate giving me the strongest that survived. This combined with my thinking on opinion 1 makes me believe I need more LMB per AC. That said the next opinion I would like is how many do you think I should go with per ACRE on stocking? (opinion Please)

3.I can set traps in the fall and see if I have in LMB reproduction. This will help me know if I need to start LMB removal ASAP or not. If my thinking on opinion 1 is correct and I show hardly no reproduced LMB. I can then adjust overall LMB based on forage evaluation. That said how many LMB from this years stocking should I remove and replace with #1 YOY LMB cruisers next year? (opinions please) (PS I can incorporate some big fat LMB removal at future disadvantaged events.)

4. OR Should I just go all in NOW and slap in LMB from Trophy size down now staggering the size. (opinion please) (debating this as it allows me to have instant gratification at event in a couple of months.)

5. If go with #4 how many total LMB and how many of each size? (opinions please)
( Ex. something like 24- 1# to 2#, 15- 3# to 5#, 9- 6#+, 3 trophy)

Help me think this out and please do not get mad if I do not follow your suggestion. Just like with my Dad I will go the way I feel regardless of what we may know will work for everyone else. Also like I used to say to pops "if we get it wrong I can just simply pull the plug when ever I get ready".

Basically right now this pond is working for BCP. However I have a BG BIOMASS surplus and want to balance it out more naturally than me physically removing. I really am not looking into turning the BCP pond into a LMB pond. My original goal with BCP pond is to have a high volume catch pond with (Crappie). I wanted to see if I could work my way thru this adventure and make a small impoundment crappie pond work. 2016 is year 4 on this out of the box experiment and the only problem I see so far is a over abundance of BG.

Feel free to through out what ever opinions you like as my dad did. Like with him I have many families impacted off of decisions I make daily. Simply just saying I may not be quick to respond at times. Like wise it took me 3 days just to get to make this post from the time I decided to do so.

Thanks
Tums

Tums-
Others can tackle #2-#5 with more better experience than I can offer, but I am absolutely positive that the LMB will be able to spawn and recruit very successfully in a 3acre pond as you describe. I base this on several years experience with a 3 acre, blue cat heavy pond. I'm not suggesting a positive or negative net effect--but it will be different after you add the LMB. Once you put them in, only way to get them out will be to drain and nuke the pond.
If you want more predation, consider HSB?? If you stock some and feed them, they'll grow like crazy to a size where they can have an effect on BG, though they won't control biomass like LMB can.

Hope this helps.

Yolk HSB was my next predator of choice ahead of the LMB in my original planning. If The LMB do recruit successfully with very little cover for them I can follow the American Sportfish idea of going to bringing in GSH & shad. All my present cover is basically deep open water cover for CC & BCP. There is no real place in the shallows for LMB to hide as the entire shore line is manicured.

I could always limit my introduction of LMB this year to see if I have a successful recruitment.

Thanks this is the kind of feed back I look for to make me think more about what to do when results come in from what ever I do.

BTW lets not forget I have a few thousand CC predators unlike most stocking you have probably dealt with.

Yolk Just thinking I could same sex the LMB with a smaller Male population (first 5 were all male as I seen it). That would lead to even less chance of recruitment if a female does happen to get in. Being smaller with a smaller mouth gape would allow for the smaller BG biomass being consumed. I could just add X (undetermined) number per year to account for harvest and mortality. Could replace what is removed during the event relative ease.
If I go this route It would defiantly make sure number 1 is correct and all I would need to do is determine X.
How Many per acre initial and how many to remove and replace per year?

I could still monitor to see if I have any recruitment along the way.

I have used sexing in the past to influence pond population control with LMB.

Yolk Thanks again for participating

If you can keep the BG population very overcrowded they may prevent/eliminated LMB reproduction. I stress may. Single sex LMB is very hard to do. Even the experts mess this up. IMO you will get LMB of both sexes reproduction in time. Even so if the BG and other predator # are high it could take a while before its a problem. But it is an experiment and all most all ponds get out of balance and corrections have to be made. I would suggest a few HSB as an option as they will work on the crappie densities and aid in making that a better population..

Ewest The BG is very overcrowded at current. I decided last night I am going to do is a mix since my first plan was to go to HSB. I have called one local guy already for pricing HSB. Do you know what PB sponsors sell HSB?

I will chance it on same sexing out a few more male LMB. The LMB here are about to move into the shallows to fan out beds. Some were already in the shallows due to the recent warming trend before this last cool snap. I can watch daily and when I find them fanning out the beds get me a few more then. We are just starting the easiest time of year to same sex LMB here. I do know however it is not a 100% but by splitting predators should also help minimize any problems from a missed sexing ID.

For people reading wanting to know more about same sexing LMB here is a little read in this article from a local hatchery here.
http://americansportfish.com/?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&catid=18