Originally Posted By: teehjaeh57
 Originally Posted By: SK63
If they made it, I should be finding small shiners, maybe 2-3 inch range ? I did put some adults in last summer, so those will be larger. If I was to bet on it, I'd be betting I won't find many shiners at all, small or large. As far as method, I'm planning on using a net.


I determine the condition of my forage base not only with pellet feeding but also by employing a dozen minnow traps set along the edges of my pond. I bait them with bread or pellets - but they will capture plenty of forage without any bait also. I routinely sample various sizes of tadpoles, FHM and GSH - the latter up to 4 - 5", and if I'm lucky I'll even score a crawfish or some PK Shrimp. This is an easy and immediate way to determine the condition of your forage base if you lack a seine and a buddy to help you [like me].

Couple of tips for using minnow traps: Keep them in 1-2' of water, resist the urge to go deeper, IMO catches are exponentially smaller. Also, don't allow them to sit for several days - 24-48 hrs max or many of your precious critters will die. It's interesting to note my tadpoles begin consuming the minnow casualties and there are several half eaten if I leave the trap for longer than 48 hrs. Definitely on the tadpoles menu!


Yessir, I have some ponds that just don't lend themselves to netting. The minnow traps get used. I will even place them at different levels in different areas and get different results. I try to check them every 24. And I use different baits. Can of ol roy or any crappy dog food with a bunch of holes punched in it always does the trick. For bread I try to use hardened stuff like old stale breadsticks or hardened heels so it lasts a bit longer. Sometime I'll use a nasty chunk of spoiled meat, a fishhead with entrails hanging out. The more meat, the more crawdads, the more bread, the more minnows. Big fish pellets in cheesecloth wrap really will bring in little fish. And polliwogs are eating machines. I raise bullfrog polliwogs and mine are way, way bigger than the ones that retail at the stores for $2-3 a pop, because mine are pelletized. Very good way to do an inexact but broad forage survey. I can't agree with fhm looking like shiners though. Not after they get a couple of inches. They just look, move, and act way different. Tough to tell fhm from gambusia, but the gambusia tend to stay near the surface.

Last edited by The Pond Frog; 03/04/10 11:21 AM.