I'm really hope this works and discover something new. Just like the rest of you. This "hobby" has gone way past anything remotely close to a healthy past time. OBSESSED to the third power.
I will start a lab book/ journal this week (Walley and Yellow Perch Experiment 2009). I will post pictures of the ponds mentioned and samplings of the fish. My goal will be to make at least biweekly notes and observations. I will observe and record pond and weather conditions (water levels, water temps, air temps,bait fish numbers, and such). I will conduct a fishing sampling once a month between the 1st and the 15th depending on my honey to do list. I will measure length and weight of each species. Maybe I could put together a crude, slightly scientific, growth curve. I wish I had measured and weighed the fish before release.
I will really be watching and monitoring the available food. This spring when I set up a clover leaf trap I would have 2 to 3 gallons of FHM within only a couple hours of soak. That catch rate was done any where on the pond. Right now there are so many FHM. When the kids and myself were swimming this weeekend we were completly surrounded by FHM fry. Any where I looked in Hubert it was covered with FHM fry. It will be real interesting to see what happens. All of my ponds are built in wetlands and there is so much other available food, i.e. tadpoles, frogs, crayfish, and snails not to mention all the bug life.
Bill - I will incorporate mothly stockings of minnows instead of once a year. I think it makes sense plus its one more pond activity. I'm glad to here you thought the WE stocking was slightly high. My thinking was this: With the goal of growing big YP as quickely as possible I will need them to take pellets. I will need to make sure the native food supply is limited so as to keep them on the pellets. Also, with the fact that WE in a pond environment will only grow so big I would like to ensure they don't grow past 16" before they are harvested. For a big perch pond I think a "stunted" predator would be perfect. Anything bigger and they will start consuming perch that are within my target size. We'll see.
If there are any thoughts I would love to hear them.
