Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Draining pond, should I move fish

Here in a month im going to drain about a 1/4 acre pond to remove all the bass. Im gonna fill it back up and make it a forage pond.

Question is, this pond seems to be full of 1-3" bluegill. I was wondering if I should just leave them to the coons/birds or put them in another small pond that I have. I have a .75acre pond with 75 12-14" Blue cats in it that i'd like to feed.

Is there any reason why I should or shouldn't.

Another option might be to trim their fins maybe to help ensure that they are eaten. Anyone ever done that.

Id throw all your bluegill in with the blue cats. As soon as they can eat them, they will. I have always wanted to build a box using a milk crate and then cover the top and sides to throw fish into so the flys can have at them and then the maggots will just fall into the water for the fish.

Thats what I was thinking I just always heard not to me taking fish out of one pond and putting them in another. Maybe with bluegill and for me not trying to grow big ones this won't matter.

MY uncle has a small pond 20' x 10' with (2) 20lb channel cats and a few bass and large bluegill. Every time i go stay with him I go catch (50) (legal limit) sunfish(bluegill and greenies) and i dump them in the pond. Even 30minutes later i can sit by the pond and bluegill will still be jumping out onto the lawn .

If you are worried they wont eat them then 1/2 or 1/4 the bluegill and throw them in the freezer for winter feeding. I thought blues tolerated cold water pretty well.

robbor, I think the PBF has dwindled to just you and me at 0105
hours

Do we get a prize???

No, but the late hour attests to our dedication and interest.

This might be a dumb question but Im gonna drain the pond down with a pump. it will probably be about 1ft deep and bowl shaped maybe 10-15ft diameter hole.

What do you think would be the most efficient way to catch all the bluegill out of that shallow hole. I haven't bought a siene or throw net yet for my forage ponds im working on for next season. But now may be the time to start getting some gear.

I have everything else covered, holding tank, etc.

A 1/4 inch mesh seine. Seine slowly and move them to buckets while in the seine in the water.

Been looking at seines, hmm. What does everyone use. I see monofilament, multifilament, with all kinds of options. Im gonna need a little help here. I'll start doing some searches.

CNBG will be about the only thing im using it for now and this coming summer. I have 4 ponds to seine.

Is there any thing to watch out for. Don't by to short or to long or to wide...