Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations How to determine gender

Pondmeisters,
I have a 1 acre fun fishing pond stocked with Bass, Bluegill, Red Ear Sunfish, Fathead Minnows and a few Channel Catfish. I would like to put a few non-reproducing specimen fish in just for fun. I have already put in one Flathead Catfish and would like to put in a Pickrell or three and a few (maybe up to 10)Crappie. But I don't want to mess up and start a breeding population. How can I be sure what gender Pickrell and Crappie I am putting in? Or, is there any way to easily sterilize a fish? Or any place that sells sexed or sterilized fish?
Any thing I haven't considered?

Be careful, flatheads are gluttonous with gigantic mouths. Be careful, or you may lose many desirable gamefish...

There is no way to easily sterilize a fish. Few places and I know of none that sell sexed crappies or chain pickerel at all...

Chain pickerel, no clue on how to sex except maybe a chunky female right before the spawn. Male crappies turn dark, almost black during the spawn. Females tend to stay a normal color but will be noticeably rounded in the belly with eggs right before spawning

Thanks CJBS2003,
If the flathead gets too big we can always eat it and get another little one, or not. This one grew very quickly so far, he may be dinner this summer. I can't wait to see how big it got over this winter.

"There is no way to easily sterilize a fish."
Rats! Since someone does it to the carp the state of Va. licenses us to buy here I hoped the technology had spread.

"Chain pickerel, . . . maybe a chunky female right before the spawn. Male crappies turn dark, almost black during the spawn. Females tend to stay a normal color . . ."
Thanks for that. Now does anyone know if Crappie and Pickrell are live bearers or egg layers and if the latter do they lay fertilized eggs or does the male fertilize after she lays them? I DO NOT WANT TO MESS THIS UP!

The flathead is not a pig in a pen where you go in and lasso or drive it into a narrow shoot. Each time you catch the catfish it becomes harder to catch the next time; each time making it more hook smart and wary. You may even have difficulty catching it this summer - I hope not. Crappie and chain pickerel are egg layers.

By adding the flathead IMO the pond is already on the down hill slide as far as fish balance is concerned. You will be soon seeing too few smaller bass who control the hatchlings. The flathead is not eating 1"-3" fish but is eating larger predators who are important in maintaining the fishery balance.

Just curious...Does anybody know if there is a recommended stocking number for FHC? Something like 1 FHC/10 acres or 1 FHC per 20 acres, etc.

Stocking would likely depend on the type of fishery and the habitat. Stocking for the sake of having a certain specie of fish present (bucket stocking) is often not a good idea for the long term unless one understands the full ecology of the new species and how it will interact with the current fishery. They are really easy to put in but usually very difficult to get completely out especially if the new one is reproducing and upsetting the balance. Habitat, its amount and composition play a big roles in how all the species interact.

There are several threads here on Flathead cats in ponds.

From a prior thread

Here you go.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management
Article: pp. 198�202

Gape:Body Size Relationship of Flathead Catfish
Joe E. Slaughter IVa,,1 and Brad Jacobsonb
a) Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, 2065 U.S. Highway 278 SE, Social Circle, Georgia 30025, USA
b) Arizona Game and Fish Department, Region IV, 9140 East 28th Street, Yuma, Arizona 85365, USA

Abstract.

The flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris is a highly piscivorous ictalurid native to central North America whose range has been extended throughout much of the United States. With this range expansion, many populations of native fishes have experienced declines in the number of individuals due to direct predation by flathead catfish. Previous evidence suggests that flathead catfish are opportunistic feeders and may be the least gape limited of North American freshwater piscivores. To better understand the size of prey vulnerable to flathead catfish, we measured gape dimensions for individuals of various sizes to determine the maximum size prey a flathead catfish can kill based on its gape limitations. Our results show the relationship of total length to horizontal and vertical gape and the relationship of flathead catfish total length to the total lengths of ingestible-sized prey of different body shapes. Furthermore, comparisons of the body depth of three common fish species to the gape dimensions showed that no size of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, or gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum would preclude predation by flathead catfish. Our results support the assumption that the flathead catfish is one of the least gape-limited piscivores.

Received: January 31, 2006; Accepted: May 4, 2007; Published Online: February 11, 2008

DOI: 10.1577/M06-033.1
North American Journal of Fisheries Management 2008;28:198�202

Pondmeisters,
Thanks to all for your input.

I've been thinking about what to do to improve the fun level and reduce the bluegill numbers in my pond at the same time. My boys and I have been unable to significantly reduce the bluegill numbers with fishing pressure alone and inviting friends and neighbors to fish has not produced any noticeable results either.

I believe I read about putting one Flathead in a fun fishing pond in a back issue of Pond Boss but cannot find the article, I know I read it somewhere. I also read somewhere about putting only one gender of Crappie into a fun fishing pond, again I think that was in Pond Boss. Expanding the idea to pickrell was my own thinking.

I put the Flathead in the pond when it was less than 6 inches long in the fall 2013. I caught it once and my son caught it once last summer. Now, I'm thinking I will remove it the next time someone catches it. Thanks again.

Kru,

Just curious, how big was yer FHC when you caught it last?

Since the pond is one acre, when you get the flathead out stock some LMB back into the pond to get a significant increase in bass numbers. However it is not just a matter of adding more bass. For best success you have to stock the proper size of LMB. In the mean time, get the kids back to some live bait fishing with long shank hooks with No10 or better #12 size - Carlisle style is the hook to best use.
http://www.amazon.com/Mustad-Classic-Carlisle-Kirbed-100-Pack/dp/B00DSPONZW

Each fish the kids catch get its total length measured. Record the length on paper or electronically (Ipad). After you catch and remove around 100-150 sunfish organize the data into each 1/2" length size groups and number in each group, i.e. 2.5"-3.0", 3.0-3.5", 3.6-4". The group with the largest numbers is usually the fish you have the most of and need to have removed. Bass length needed to eat those BG is 3 to 4 times longer than those overabundant BG. Example: most of the BG are 3.0" to 3.5", so you need to stock at least 9" to 12" long bass to start eating and help you remove the 3"-3.5" BG. 20-30 of these bass/ac will be a good start. Re-check the stocking success next year by doing the same thing. If things are working the numbers in each size class of BG will change from your baseline data of this year. Hopefully you will see more larger BG appearing in the angler catches. The Stocking of smaller bass (2"-4") in overpopulated BG ponds often has poor results for ones goal unless you can manually remove high numbers (400-600/ac) of the offending size of BG. Buying larger bass will be fairly pricey which gives one a good idea of the value of that specific fish in your pond.

Bill D. - About 12 inches, probably a little less.

Bill Cody,
Thanks for your reply. I copied your plan and filed it. We will do it this summer. It will not only be a good thing for the pond but I think it will be a good learning experience for the boys about how to approach problems from a scientific perspective. I also wanted to come up with a pond centered project for the boys and me for this summer, this looks like a good one.

You do need a predator to help control the BG potential for stunting. The method depends on the goal and the desire to work at population control and adjustment.