Ok, thanks everyone.
I have seen these tiny minnows in seasonal creeks around here for many, many years. Never knew what they were or never really cared till lately when got curious. We used to catch them and keep them in an aquarium along with some crawdads, green sunfish, etc. for the kids to watch when young during the summer months.
In my daughters pond that I started refurbishing last fall, just got back in to work on it and finish up the top side last week. The old portion of the pond was not drain-able and with the time frame I had to work with leaving for the winter I basically cleaned out around the old pond around the edge and made a new portion attached to this old pond. So there was still water and fish in the old portion, although the water was down to more of just a large puddle.
So while working on smoothing up the dam and moving dirt topside I saw the water teeming with action. It was a gazillion of these gams hitting the top of the water in the old portion of the pond. Threw a minnow trap in with some feed and pulled it out about ten minutes later. Had a few dozen of the Gambusia in it but they were falling out of the trap through the holes about as fast as I pulled it in (need smaller mesh for catching Gambusia). Had enough fish left in the trap to get the pictures.
Makes me wonder if most of the other GSF and any LMB are long gone. Pond was really low on water and shallow last fall (maybe 3' of water max) so the larger fish may have froze out as we had ice cover for quite a while this winter. I would think if there was a big GSF population, the gambusia could not be this thick in the water as they are now. Top of the water (now higher from spring rain) was covered with Gambusia activity. Maybe only wishful thinking about most of the GSF gone.
Adding 4-6" BG now so the gambusia may be on the run soon. Pond is probably close to an acre total now, with the new portion and the old portion still seperated. Put a few pounds of FHM in the new portion water the other day. Will add about 40 4-6" BG this spring. Been putting the BG in the old water where the Gams are. Then next summer put some a dozen or so 10-12" LMB in. As the pond continues to fill the new and the old portion water will run together when the pond is about 3/4 full. Catching the stocking fish out of my pond to stock it. Kind of a poor mans stocking program as she would not want to spend the money on stock and with existing fish in the old portion of the pond, stocking fingerlings might only be expensive snacks if there happen to be a couple LMB or a bunch of GSF left in the old water.
Did the same thing with son's refurbished pond this spring but his was completely dry when refurbished so no problem with remaining old fish.
The Gams should give the BG we are putting in there something to eat.
Last edited by snrub; 04/05/14 10:39 AM.
