Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Help me with my 100 acre lake - please?

I have a 100 acre lake in So. California that I have just begun managing for a non-profit organization. We will be creating a private bass club there. Our goal is to create a quality bass fishery and potentially some big 12 lb. or better fish. We are currently working on removing approx. 20 lbs. per acre of Northern strain largemouth bass (that's approx. 4,000 bass to remove - a lot of catching to do!). My records this year show that 90% of the bass caught are 11 - 13". 75% of the bass are thin. We are seeing large bluegill only - never small ones under 5". I see a few beds in the fall, otherwise I fish deep and occasionally can catch a bluegill to measure. Two years ago there was a run off of pesticides from a new home development during a spring ran that we believe (not positive) killed off our once tremendous thread fin shad population. This shad population basically feed the bass and took some pressure of the bluegill. Now since the shad are gone the bass population has really fell apart. Fishing is tougher and the fish are in poor shape. There are no crappie or any other forage fish in the lake. The lake's depth is 65' maximum and there is a lot of old trees and brush in the lake from 2 - 12 deep. Water temp now is 64. I am just starting to fertilize for the first time next week.

I know I need to cull out bass and increase the forage bass (bluegill) as much as I can. Problem here out West is that bluegill are very expensive and hard to find. We don't have the hatcheries out West unless you want trout, tilapia or channel cats - all grown for commercial use only. Checking around I am finding that 3" bluegill (Florida strain) sell for $ 1.50 each. That is the same price I can pay for pure Florida strain bass! If I try to match the stock ratios I have been studying here (250 per acre) I am looking at 25,000 bluegill @ $ 1.50 each or $ 37,500.00 in forage!!

I have trying to find shad, but no one sells them here.

I spoke to a biologist from the Dept. of Fish and Game here and he said I should try to stock black crappie as they are prolific spawners and will feed the bass well. Is this a good plan? Won't they compete with the bass or is the lake big enough to make the crappie plant worth it. Since I can not buy crappie here, I can arrange a permit to catch and transport adult crappie. Again a lot of work on my part and not an easy task to catch big numbers here on rod and reel and then storing them and transport.

So what are my options guys? I only have so much of a budget to work with. Cull the bass, stock what forage I can afford? I was thinking once I get the forage base up I might like to add say 1,000 pure strain Florida bass fingerlings to change the genetics of the bass population and then in a few years start stocking 7 - 12" trout each winter for the big food value.

Thanks! I love this site!!

Dave

Too big of a lake and I am too far away and too unfamiliar with what's out there for help from me..But I'm sure there are very doable things for your problem. You basically need to work at correctly and properly diversifying the forage base. They do grow big bass in CA. I recommend you hire a "local" professional fishery biologist for some advice. Money should be well spent if he amounts to anything, has a track record and comes with references. Check them out first before hiring him for a few hours of work and advice.

Bill:

Thanks for the reply.

Dave

David, I would be careful about the crappie. Joe Pool Lake, al medium size Texas lake, between Dallas and Fort Worth is a crappie lake. It wasn't planned that way and I don't know what happened. Although I haven't fished it in years, I know people who live on it, fish it a lot, and rarely catch a bass. One guy told me that after 5 years, he has caught less than 20 bass. And, this guy is good. My opinion is that crappie are OK in a water body that size but I would add them after the bass and bluegill you want are established and balanced.

I am coming to the same conclusion. I think I will stick with bluegill and try to re-introduce shad...if I can ever find them. I spoke with the water district today that supplies our lake with water and he said the shad were lost when we had a major run off cold muddy water from the new home development in addition to a green paper product that they used to mulch the soil after the home development was completed. He said that the cold muddy water turned the lake over and clogged the shad's gills to the point that they all died off. Could threadfin shad be killed this way - muddy, cold water with a lake turnover? I am hoping there are some schools of shad still left...I just have not been able to meter them, see them or had a bass spit one up. Maybe as the water warms I hope to see them again.

Dave