I have examples of natural limited recruitment of WE in ponds as small as 0.7 and 1.0 ac. It can happen but it is rare, undependable, and not an annual occurrence. WE will usually spawn naturally in most waters but the hatching of eggs and survial of fry are usually what are not successful. Hatching of the eggs is the first big hurdle due to eggs lying in cold water for a relatively long period before they hatch and don't first suffocate from siltation or low DO as the eggs lie in close association to anoxic bottom areas of often organic laden /covered bottoms. Pond and lake bottoms especially those condusive to walleye spawning (rocky) often have zones of high BOD for one reason or another. Lakes that have good WE recruitment have low BOD in the rocky zones. Usually the few fry that might emerge from eggs then have to survive predation from every thing from shiner, BG, YP, crappie, small CC or last year's bass. A daunting challenge indeed. So daunting that both rarely happen together even in many larger water bodies which is why states are regularly supplimentally stocking WE into "WE lakes". In the best of conditions, it is said that 1 egg in 10,000 will survive to the first year. IMO in regular ponds and lakes the survial rate is more like 1 in 1 million will survive to the first year which is likely to be 4"-7" long. Those fish are still very vulnerable to predation even from small 8"-12" bass, YP, or other walleye.
The natural recruitment in the pond examples above were with just WE as the main predator. No bass. WE stay very slender bodied and relatively vulnerable to other larger predators including other WE for the first 2 sometimes for males 3 yrs of life until they are at least 8"-10" long. Have you ever seen the cross section or body diameter of an 7"-8" WE? It's not much larger than a thick pencil or thin cigar.
As a note I initially was of the same mind set of how to get WE to reproduce some new fish in a pond. In my now experienced opinion, it is much better to not have WE spawning in your BOW. Imagine what it would be like to have an overpopulation of WE similar to LMB, BCP, YP, pike or other successful predator - now one has food chain problems. Non spawning WE are actually better because the manager has good control of the pedator numbers. Too many - you remove some, too few - you add some. Good management and quality fisheries are about good control of fish numbers and a non-reproducing predator gives you that control, option or advantage. Supplimental stocker size WE of 6"-10" are not that expensive for periodic restocking. If one cannot afford that expense from the value and benefits (fish quality & management benefits) they receive of stocker sized WE, they should probably look into using a different predator - IMO.
Commentary - Quality fish definately have value, and I think many people especially non-pondowners have too low of an opinion of what a quality sized fish is worth and the enjoyment that it can provide. Sometimes the memories are priceless.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/11/12 08:46 PM.
