Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Perch laying egg ribbons left and right

The last few days has seen intense activity from my yellow perch laying egg ribbons. Anyone else?

My five broodstock females in a cage with about 19 males have done their thing too.

I dropped a disffuser under the cage to keep the toad tadpoles off the eggs. I couldn't tell but it appeared they may have been feeding on them. I've got thousands of toad tadpoles in the yellow perch production pond. Due to the unseasonably warm weather they dropped their eggs and hatched before the yellow perch.

I've seen the first ribbon ever in my pond the other day, and the perch have been in there for 4-5 years, now. I know that have spawned previously because I seen the yoy, but this is the first time I have actually witnessed the eggs.

Do you think it is too late to throw some more structure in the pond for this year's spawn (I only have about 5-6 pieces that I would consider adequate in there currently).

Throwing the cover in there for the perch to lay eggs on surely can't hurt. Just make sure that it's on the bottom, and not floating. If they don't use it this year, they probably will next year!

What do you guys think of this:

My hatchery guy [Hofpar at NE Lake Management] says his perch spawn directly in his tanks devoid of any structure whatsoever, and he plans it this way as he can raise the fry directly in the tanks and doesn't need to seine his ponds. I thought it was hard to believe until I witnessed it for myself. I know Bruce has had similar experiences - so while I think structure can certainly help, I guess don't assume they aren't pulling spawns due to lack of structure - they seem to find a way in the examples I mentioned. Anyone else ever seen YP spawn in tanks or raceways?

Interesting TJ, if it works then why not.

How small can YP be to lay a ribbon? I ask because I spotted one small ribbon (5-6" long) on a flooded blade of grass yesterday in my pond. Did one of those YP I got from you TJ try to spawn or is it something else? The biggest of those YP was 5".

Teejaeh, Shorty, will be interested in hearing more results on your YP spawn. I'm not far from you guys, north of St. Joseph 20 miles. I've been afraid my perch missed their spawn due to water temps. Have not seen any signs of YP spawning. Females with eggs, and males looking to be full of fertilizer.

The suspense is killing me!

Shorty, when I got my perch, I believe it was TJ who thought that my 6" would probably attempt a spawn this spring, I got them last fall.

Cecil, what are your water temps? I'm back down to 62* at the surface.

I just checked and I'm just below 60 a couple of inches below the surface. Winds are howling as they are probably at your pond too! I was going to catch my SMB broodstock today and move them to the spawning pond, but I absolutely loath fishing in high winds and will probably wait a day or so.

Getting them to spawn in tanks and cages is fairly easy. I'm on my second year of doing the latter. The hard part is having enough and small enough zoo plankton in indoor tanks for them to feed on as soon as they are ready to eat live food. Unlike other species their mouths are too small initially to accept artificial feed.

Perhaps your supplier pumps in zooplankton rich water from a pond or he is growing live zoo plankton? If you get a cold snap the former can go bust on you as would hatching them totally outdoors. Some times there is short supply of yellow perch after a warm up and then cold temps where the zooplankton crashes and the fry starve.

It's not easy to produce zoo plankton indoors on a large scale although some are doing it with mixed success and trying different things. NCRAC is going to fund a study on it.

I think 6" YP would be sexually mature, have heard stories of 4" YP pulling spawn in tanks. I think both Shorty and James could be pulling spawns - woo hoo!

Cecil I have moved 13 SMB from 13-16" to the repro pond. Might do two more and call it good.

I have had yearling five inch fish produce eggs and males ready for action at that age too. I will also tell you that small pieces are not necessarily from small fish. One of my big females this year in the cage pushed some eggs out in short segments.



Did any of them look like they were packed with eggs?

I hate to be the proverbial t*rd in the punchbowl, but I doubt I have a YP spawn this year, I have a fishkill going on, and thought it was minor and over. But just went on a row around the pond...it's going to go on for a while. Actually a blessing in disguise!

I'll explain in another thread.

I caught a 3.75" female YP with eggs this spring. IMO A fish like that is not good genetic stock. YP eggs have a greater chance of hatching in a tank with no sediment and circulating water compared to being laid on a muddy pond bottom with probably of shoreline wave suspended sediment settling on them. Eggs in 'a clump' can easily fungus in the pond setting esp with ambient cool water temps slowing the hatch time.

Well yeah Bill but what do they have to eat in a tank after they hatch?