Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations wiper ?

sat. was at pond couple times during the day (got path worn around her )lol. bout 4 or so found about 14 bass dead or dying , could grab them by the shore with my hand , all bass where about 6" , they where put in bout year ago , as 3" fish , some bass from same stocking are 12" , guess they eat more. anyway could the wipers who are 12" or so , be killing the bass by wacking them and then figuring they are to big to eat , no other fish where dead , flatheads , bluegills, shinners. i feed the fish in moring and evening. was wondering if anybody else has had this happen who has stock wipers ?

the dead and dying bass where largemouth sorry.

What size lake? did you say Flathead catfish? How many? How many stripers?

acre pond , flathead minnows, spring last year stocked 10 pounds flathead minnows, about 100 largemouth , about 3", 100 channel cats about 3", 80 large bluegills, have flatheads and bluegill young fish. in the fall i put in 50 wipers 6" and 5 pounds of shinner minnows. the wipers are about 10/12" now .some of the largemouth and channels are about the same size , but some large mouth are about 6" , found three more dead ones sunday. should i catch and get the wipers out of the pond ?

Seems no one chimed in to help, but I feel it is not the wipers. I can not see how they could be the problem. I wish I had an answer for you.

fathead minnows duh lol

would a blue heron kill the fish, but not eat them ?

you'd see evidence of the heron on the dead and dying fish. how's your DO level?

A heron would be after your blue gills more so than your bass.
I have lost a lot of bluegill to them that they killed but didn't eat and there was always some major scarring and scales missing.

The heron attack is obvious there will be a hole in the back of the fish. I lost several grass carp and two had holes in them in my small holding pond when I was out of town this weekend. You can alos see their tracks in the pond bottom.

i see the heron every couple days, he visits all the ponds around here. the bass looked perfectly healthy . some fish where just sitting in the shallow water , you could grab them with your hand. they seemed to be in a daze. no other fish , just the 6" bass. ummmmm