Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Removing GSF from a pond

Here's a groundwater only pond that is supposed to have RES, YP, FHM, GSH and SMB in it. The forage fish were stocked 2 years ago and the YP a year ago. Just as we were getting ready to stock the SMB, we found a huge population of 1"-5" GSF in the pond. The owner didn't want to chance stocking the SMB in the pond, so it's drain, rotenone, and start all over again.

A Fyke net survey showed almost 0 recruitment from the RES, most likely due to the GSF. Another pond on the property, stocked at the same time as this one, but without GSF, has great RES recruitment.

The pond was about at the 50% full level due to the drought in the area before pumping started. It's dropped 13" so far. The pump is a 16,000 GPH 3" semi-trash pump. I reconfigured it to run from a 6 gallon external fuel tank, so it will run 10-12 hr at a time vs. the 2-3 from the little tank that is on it.

The innertube is to float the suction end of the pick-up hose. Less sand and other nasties run thru the pump that way. It's pumping the water into the woods in the background, and the water is running away from the pond.

The bigger YP and RES that are found will be transferred to another pond before the rotenone is applied.






More cover will be added before the water fills the pond.


I think it's a good thing that the pond is getting killed. I saw a couple of larger fish cruising the shallows and was able to catch one.....


How they got in the pond is anybody's guess, but I think they were bucket stocked. Not a good thing for a SMB pond! No sign of them were seen in the pond before a week ago when I noticed a larger fish chasing minnows up near shore.

Geeze, doesn't bode well for future plans... If LMB found there way in this time, might do it again? Maybe post signs around the pond, "Please don't stock unauthorized fish".

LMB looks quite chunky...

Post some pics of the remaining RES and YP... Can't wait to see what the fish community looks like when the water is gone!

Yeah, I know. The owner doesn't live there, but will on a part time basis in the future. There were trespass issues in the past, but they slowed down recently (I thought).

The last trail cam that was placed on the road going back there was stolen within 2 weeks. I think this time the system will upload pictures directly to the owners computer as soon as they are taken.

This pond is off of the dead end road by more than 1/4 mile and not visible from the road at all.

How did a bunch of GSF get in there ? Better answer that one first. To be the predominate fish after 2 years raise questions. Not just a few bucket stocked.

I bet FHM contamination... I wouldn't be surprised if GSF and LMB came in with them.

I'll bet a "friend" did some bucket stocking.

Can't wait for updates.

I am pretty sure that esshup in our conversations said the pond was not initially killed with rotenone thus the GSF. The LMB were definately a surprise. There will probably be lots of YOY bass in the final kill. It will be interesting. A remote pond without constant watch is very vulnerable to intruders and bucket stockers - damn trespassers. Intruders probably thought "fishing here is a bummer - no bass. Let's fix that problem".

That is taking a real chance stocking new small fish into an unknown population status. If so they got a real surprise this time.

Pond was dug in 2008. It was a wet spot in the woods, and it was assumed that there were no fish in there. After the fact, it was found that the South side of the property has a seasonal ditch that could overflow into the woods, and GSF were seen in the ditch during times of high water. My guess is that's where the GSF came from. The other ponds on the property (dug after this one) do NOT have any GSF in them. The ponds are constructed in such a way that absolutely no surface water can enter the ponds, so no GSF swimming thru the woods will get into them now.

No fish were observed chasing minnows near shore in this pond until roughly 2 weeks ago. I've only seen those 2 LMB in the pond, no smaller ones.

No pictures today, but the pond dropped another 12". Fyke net survey last year showed GSF from 2" to 5", YP, RES, GSH.

This is the same pond that winterkilled last winter. I'll know in a day or two exactly what fish are left in the pond. It's pumped down far enough to rotenone now, but I'll keep removing water to make catching any transferrable fish easier.

Scott - what kind of system can perform this function - uploading pics in real time to a pc?

Go to http://www.chasingame.com/

They should have unbiased reviews on the cameras.

The ones that I know of are:

Buckeye Cam - IIRC that's the first one on the market

Covert Special Ops

LTL Acorn

Thanks Scott.

Could you have built a siphon to drain the pond and save the gas/pumping? Have you ever built one?

Tj:

Pond is a dugout pond, water level in the pond is lower than the surrounding land level - siphon won't work. Most of the ponds around here are dug - flat ground.

That certainly would preclude using a siphon!