Hey everyone it has been a year from the last update, and Im happy to report the pond took a big turn this year towards trophy bass pond.
Some of my previous concerns about CNBG numbers have been answered via cast net surveys where I have had several net full casts of 10 CNBG from 4-7 inch. I have never caught a 10 incher. 8 probably at most, but I see this as a side effect of stocking much more than the usual 10:1 I did dig a forage pond for BG and will drain it next week to see if I had any offspring and will be transferring them to main pond.
In the beginning I chose 100 Fl and 100 F1 bass, and had began to have concerns about catch rate, but after this year I am very pleased. This was the first summer I have been able to fish it hard. At first I caught fish right and left and had 10 fish/hr days but as long as it stays around 3/hr I am happy. And one of those being a nice fish 4+ lbs.
Also because of school it is usually 2-3 weeks between fishing trips, I feel this helps to reset them with it comes to being hook shy.
I was also able to add various forms of structure this year, and all starting producing fish within weeks of placement. I think this is because I have very little structure of any kind in the pond, and because I placed them in good spots.
Now for production, I have been able to remove ~60 fish from 10-15 inch. based on my electro survey there were an abundance of 10 and 14 inch fish. Most of these fish were weighed before their exit from the pond, and almost all were 1-2 oz from 100% wr. I continue to cull any bass in 10-15inch range that is under wr, and probably will forever. All larger bass that were measured were over 110% and usually 120% wr. There was one fish at 4lbs that based on length had lost some weight and was under 100% wr
Now to the larger bass. I would say I have caught 15 within an ounce or two of 3.5lbs 10 at 4.5-4.75lbs and 4 over 5lbs. Pond record by hook and line is 5.5lbs. electro record was last year at 5.75lbs.
I always tell myself I am going to start a journal and weigh and measure all catches so I wont need as many electro surveys but that is the last thing on my mind when I catch a big fish on a 100+ degree day. Now that the water has cooled the bite has slowed for me, but so have my opportunities to go fishing.
Last December I added rainbow trout and always add tilapia in the spring. Hopefully can get RBT again this go around.
Based on my fishing I am confident that 1/3 to 1/4 of the bas population is 16+ inch and ~2lbs So I am considering opening the can of worms that is gizzard shad. Threadfin and Gizzard shad are the only forage options I have not pursued so far. I am dedicated to a catching that first 10lb bass. after than moment goals may change to balanced pond, but I doubt it. So I am considering perhaps a load 1/2 threadfin 1/2 gizzard shad. If the gizzards get out of control I am dedicated to getting them out by any means. I could even run a gill net for a week during the spring/summer to get them out. I don't know if I could get enough out to change the population in a 6 acre pond. Maybe gillnets combined with cast netting, and a yearly electro survey I could keep the gizzards in check.
Another thing that is making me consider gizzard is the apparent sharp decline in golden shiners. In the past years I could cast net golden shiners of all sizes at will, this year that was not the case. Perhaps the larger bass are starting to target the golden shiners more? Maybe I should just stock some jumbo golden shiners?
Finally overall I am very happy with the pond, because as you can see on the first page of this thread, the pond filled within 3 days to the dozer leaving and I was not able to add the structure I had planned on. That being said the pond is producing nice fish. When I started I had dreams of bass that gained 2 lbs/year. As of last year in the electro survey we caught 1 fish that met that number. So I have decided that number of 2 lbs/year is for the exceptional fish not the average. Am I right here??? Seems my fish are probably on average more like 1 lb/year. But I have never killed a larger fish to check age, so who knows what year class is doing the best, or how many original stockers I have caught, or even left for that matter.
Hopefully with more aggressive culling, and addition of gizzard shad, I can push that up to 1.5lbs/year for the average fish. Don't get me wrong I don't know of any pond in my county that comes close to mine when I comes to bass, but still its not where I want to be yet.
So hope you enjoy the update, feel free to weigh in on any of the issues, especially growth and gizzard shad.
