Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations What are These?

Alright I had a severe case of winter kill that took out the majority of the predators in my pond.

We have noticed tons of young fish that don't really resemble anything I've stocked. They go ballistic for GFC and form giant bait balls while feeding. The remaining LMB and SMB juveniles have been schooling them up and then hammering them. Still the pond is filthy with them.

I think these are some kind of minnow perhaps even Golden Shiners, but I could use some help from the forum. Right now they range from 1cm - 2"

The pics aren't the best quality, but I don't think that will stop you guys.










The fish are in monster schools all over the pond. Some of the schools are in the weeds and others in the open. Without a predator base to keep them in check they are thriving. I would guess there is a 200-300K in the pond.

Hi Black Bass...I owe you an email btw. Sorry, just getting caught up.

I'm inclined to agree with your GSH id. Nice work establishing such a great forage base. Can you tell us how you did it?

Well TJ it's by accident that I arrived at my current position, but probably for the best.

The pond these fish currently reside in had a predator heavy population. This included CC (30 lbs) LMB (20 lbs) Crappie (5-10 lbs)and SMB (5-10 lbs) in a .60-.70 acre pond.

When we took possession of the pond in 2008 the pond was filled with what I thought was BG. The fish were some what stunted averaging 3-5". The reason I added the CC, LMB and SMB in the first place was to balance the population and just like everyone else, I wanted Big Bass.

Well then I discovered Pond Boss and realized that my BG were not exactly BG. I had a mix of HBG, GSF, BG and PKSD(Pumpkinseed). My population analysis discovered that I had virtually no fish under 3" to feed my new predator additions.

So I culled all the Crappie and fed the fish 150 lbs of Aquamax last year. I also added 200-250 PKSD fingerlings out of a small forage pond a mile down the road as well as about 4 lbs of assorted wild minnows (Bluntnose Minnows, Shiners and FHM) from the same pond. By last fall my LMB had doubled in size and half of them were taking feed. I had quelled the hungry CC w/ pellets and I finally had YOY forage in the pond.

Over the winter the pond went through a hard freeze. I wasn't worried because the pond was spring fed and I survived last winter without aeration. However I failed to realize that I had doubled or perhaps tripled the biomass of the pond putting me on the fence for a DO crash.

Come April I lost everything except my minnows, two or three dozen 6-9" LMB and SMB, an army of PKSD (Fingerlings to 7") and a few larger HBG, and somehow 10-20 5" Bullhead Catfish.

So for now my pond is awash in forage. I plan on managing the forage exclusively for a year or two until the forage is so plentiful that I can walk across my pond. Then I will add some YP and SMB and raise some biggin's.

Right now I need to know which one of the minnow species is thriving and figure out how to support them...

TJ if you have made it this far I know you are really busy so when you get some time send me a PM.

Looks like mostly GSH to me with a few sunfish mixed in...

I agree on the Golden Shiner ID.

Hard to be sure but my guess is GShiners mostly.

BB

I will send a pm today. Every second I spend on the site now is cause for termination of my consulting contract...somehow I don't seem to care much AND the thrill of getting caught is...well - exhilarating. Crazy to be working for someone again....

Back to work, slacker.

Thanks guys...I just wanted to be sure.