So TJ and I came up with an idea the other day that maybe some others might want to take advantage of as well....Evaluate My Fishery: Past, Present, and Future Management and Expectations....What brought this thinking along was the fact that TJ's pond is currently producing right now as we speak trophy fish of several different species...But given his pond's young age, and the advice he has gained, I wouldn't expect anything different... BUT producing big fish right now doesnt mean his pond is set up for longterm success of consistently producing trophy specimens of all those different species...I have some thoughts for him to consider, but basically we agreed this could be very interesting for the open forum and not only would others learn from his experiences, but yall could do this for your own pond as well to get some of the best fish minds in the world to offer you some suggestions and advice....
So here are a list of questions to help us analyze his fishery, and prompt some discussion of not only what he could have done better, but also some ideas for him for things he could be doing now to ensure that every year at his pond only gets him closer to his goals, whatever they may be....
If this type of format appeals to anyone else, by all means start your own thread using these questions about your existing body of water or even your conceptual pond...We should all be able to learn a little something about growing rates, etc from this data as well as offer some suggestions....
I have a feeling that collectively with all of us put together folks will benefit greatly from this type of thread...also I would love to fine tune these questions as I am just plopping down my thoughts here as I write, but know I will indeed miss some important questions that could be asked....
Also if others do indeed decide to use this format, I could use a little help from the moderators or grammar geeks making the description and instructions a bit more streamlined for better future use...
The questions can seem vague, provide as much detail as you care to write. Obviously the more detail the better the results....
Evaluate My Fishery- TJ's Pond.
When was the pond built?
How big is the pond?
How deep was it then?
How deep is it now?
Average depths?
How long did it take to fill up?
Does the water level fluctuate much?
What is the primary soil type?
What type of land is the watershed drainage into the pond?
What is the typical water clarity?
Have you ever had the water quality analyzed? Results?
What is predominant vegetation growing in and around the pond?
Do you do anything about the vegetation, explain?
Aeration?
What fish were stocked initially, what sizes, and when?
What fish have been stocked since initial stocking?
What fish have been removed since initial stocking?
Whats the biggest fish of each species caught to date and when?
Whats the average size of each species in the pond currently?
Do you feel you have all age classes of fish represented adequately in the pond? Explain...
How do you feel about the fish habitat in the pond?
Do you feel the fish have enough to eat year round?
Do you supplementally feed, what kind food, how often?
What was the best year you can remember for fishing in the pond?
Why do you think that was?
What was the worst year of fishing?
Again Why do you think that was?
What fish size/species would you like to see less of in the pond?
What fish species/size would you like to see more of or introduced in the pond?
Would you like to harvest more or less fish annually?
What are your future plans for the pond in regards to human interaction/management?
What decisions have you made that now in hindsight you would do differently?
Overall what is the ultimate goal for your fishery and how close are you to obtaining it?
Once you obtain that original goal, then what?
What else do you feel is important to know about your pond and the land that surrounds it?
There you go TJ, you have your work cut out for you, but figure out the best way to answer those questions and then I probably will have some more for you to answer...then we can get into some thoughts for consideration for keeping your pond a trophy multi species fish factory.....
