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Joined: May 2013
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Bill great advice! Thinking back, my only egg strand this spring was on the east shore as well. I put tree branches in on the west shore and had a egg strand without a branch on the east shore!
The fish were put in about 4 weeks after ice out this spring and a few were big enough to lay eggs, but due to water temps and timing I think most probably spawned in the pond at the fish farm.
They are getting plump now so I'll be sure to put trees in on the 4 banks and watch where the strands go.
I'm likely to remove the eggs as I have a small pond and no predators yet but we'll see.
Setterguy, don't worry, I never see mine either. My fish were pellet trained but I don't see them take surface pellets But they easily go in traps that are baited with pellets so I know they are there and getting chubby. I think they just hang out under the goldfish and shiners that are cleaning up on the surface and they clean up the bottom.
Last edited by canyoncreek; 11/19/15 10:53 AM.
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I have two large artificial Christmas trees I was going to sink, maybe I will see how the yp like the branches as spawn areas. I have lots of brush close to the shore, but want the best possible recruitment.
Thanks for the tips Bill
Cmm
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Some natural submerged vegetation will significantly help recruitment of YP to a size the fingerlings are most beneficial as forage.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Some natural submerged vegetation will significantly help recruitment of YP to a size the fingerlings are most beneficial as forage. +1. At least in my pond, I did not confirm any YP recruitment for several years despite regular stockings. This last year, vegetation has really taken off, there are a number of weedbeds adjacent to deep water, and I've caught a large number of YP that were obviously hatched this spring.
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Yup, have primrose, a few species of pondweed, and coontail in addition to the brush piles. Hoping it all adds up to recruitment.
Thanks again for all the comments and help along the way.
Cmm
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FWIW I did something a little different this year and I guess we will see how it works out next spring. This summer I put piles of broken concrete next to my brush piles. My thought is getting the YP to spawn is the first step. Hopefully, the slab piles covered in algae will give any frye I am lucky enough to get a place to quickly seek refuge from predation and improve survival. I have no idea if that will work.
Last edited by Bill D.; 11/24/15 08:28 PM. Reason: Clarification
Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
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Bill D, let me know if you thinks it helps your recruitment. Sure sounds good to me, let's see what the yp think!
Cmm
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My YP were stocked by Rainman in October.(YEAH!) My goal is abundant reproduction for LM forage. To help judge if they help the wr for the lm, I am going to post 2015 results from my charting efforts. About 95% of fish caught were charted. 24 LM were tagged. I plan to tag 5 or 6 LM each year going forward.
Total lm caught: 213, 142 culled Ave length: 10.3" Ave WR: 83% 159 <12", 124 were culled 15 12"-16", 6 were culled 39 >16" 12 were culled
Total BG caught: 492, 19 were culled, all culled fish were over 9" 13< 5" 295 5"-8" 184 >8
I also caught 19RES, 45 GSF and 11 that looked like various hybrids between the GSF, RE and BG. All GSF and Hybrids were culled.
I have no idea what a reasonable goal is for a single year increase in WR would be, but my ultimate goal would be to have ave wr of all lm to be over 90% for the year.
Happy to hear feedback, questions, comments and suggestions.
I think Bill Cody suggested documenting stomach contents on culled LM. That will be done in 2016.
CMM
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Joined: Oct 2013
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Setterguy, don't worry, I never see mine either. My fish were pellet trained but I don't see them take surface pellets But they easily go in traps that are baited with pellets so I know they are there and getting chubby. I think they just hang out under the goldfish and shiners that are cleaning up on the surface and they clean up the bottom.
I must be doing something wrong with my trap, or I've got the wrong type of trap. Would you mind sharing your trap type, and method for catching. I have a trap I suspend at different depths from four small milk jugs. I put a ladies stocking with feed in it, in the center section. I can only catch tadpoles. I bought a drop net that I lower down with food in the center of it. I must be doing it wrong also. I've only caught tadpoles with it also. Thanks, Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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Jeff, I've had best luck sampling FHM, GSH, GSF, RES, PS and BG with the minnow trap placed on the bottom of the pond in 1'-3' of water, with the trap openings placed horizontal to the shoreline.
I can't remember catching a YP in a minnow trap, but I've caught them in the fyke net, and that is placed on the bottom of the pond, not suspended.
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I have a minnow trap and a small fish trap. My YP are maybe too big for either trap. I looked up fyke trap. Maybe I can find a used one. I'll try the fish trap on the bottom, in about 8' of water? That's deeper than I've been going.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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Great. I can build these. The first fyke net I looked at was $500. Thank you. I'm really curious what survived the initial stocking.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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Joined: Oct 2013
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Joined: Oct 2013
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Another question about traps. If I'm trying to catch perch, do I need the trap to be on the bottom, or floating. I guess if I made one out of pvc I'd have a little more trouble getting it on the bottom. I'm thinking I need a little bit bigger trap. Not necessarily a 4' x 4', but at least 2 or 3 feet wide. Might need the wings or whatever they are called to help direct fish.
Which leads to last question. Or two. If the best placement is on the bottom what depth water should I set it in? Or, should I set it up near the structures I've placed. They are in 8 to 10 foot depth, but almost come to surface. (Cedar trees, and artificial trees.)
Thanks Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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Jeff, if you use PVC, drill some 2/16" holes in the very top of the pipe, and some near the bottom. That will allow the air inside the pipe out, and allow them to sink.
I would set traps on the bottom in 4'-8' of water. In the Spring, when the water is cooler, set them shallower, maybe 3'-6'. I would not set them where any part of the trap was below the thermocline if one sets up in your pond.
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Jeff, if you use PVC, drill some 2/16" holes in the very top of the pipe, and some near the bottom. That will allow the air inside the pipe out, and allow them to sink.
I would set traps on the bottom in 4'-8' of water. In the Spring, when the water is cooler, set them shallower, maybe 3'-6'. I would not set them where any part of the trap was below the thermocline if one sets up in your pond. Perfect, thanks! Will do. Swimming in it last summer, it was very cold down deep (greater than 10'). So I'm assuming I have a thermocline. Looking at budget, I may not get aeration in this summer..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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That's good that you know that. This summer, if you see a thermocline set up again, try fishing deeper than the depth where it sets up. Note where you catch fish - below the thermocline or above the thermocline. That will help you determine what depth to set the trap too. Remember fish will normally swim up to take a bait, but rarely swim down more than a foot or so to take a bait.
Also below the thermocline, the O2 levels are typically reduced unless you have tremendous clarity in the water.
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Water is not that clear. I don't think I ever had any clarity of greater than 2.5'. I didn't know the fish were ever "below" the thermocline, until now. I've got lots to learn about catching fish..
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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In some lakes with really, really clear water, there will be enough O2 in the water below the thermocline for cooler water fish to live. IT's a function of both temp and O2 levels.
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One cedar tree added in 5' of water and 2 artificial trees added in shallower water for yp spawning and yoy habitat. The artificial trees were done in two ways. One tree was sunk as sections; 3 sections, each about 12-16" tall and two tiers of branches. The other tree I used only the branches, I wired between 2 and 4 together and dropped them close to shore in 12" to 3' of water. I put about 3 sets of branches in a section then moved on down the shore.
I will see if I have more egg strands on the natural brush and weeds or if they like the artificial branches well enough.
I also cleaned all my fly lines so I can take advantage of the 50+ degree weather tomorrow. I haven't caught a fish yet this year.
Cmm
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I am cussing the geese more than usual. Apparently, the flock that came in last night thought my artificial Christmas tree branches may be good to eat. Most of the branches have been pulled up. Grrrr. Cmm
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Another update on the yp Rainman delivered a year ago. I didn't see egg strands, I have put minnow traps out a few times with no baby YP found and I haven't seen any obviously yp in stomach contents of lm and I haven't caught any yp. The good news is that my preliminary numbers look like the lm wr are up some, but not much.
Questions: how big would yp fry be now if spawned in February or March? Would the fry be in similar locations as bg fry of 3-4"?
CMM
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YP hatched this spring will range from 2"to7" long, most 3"-4.5" now in early Oct.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Another update on the yp Rainman delivered a year ago. I didn't see egg strands, I have put minnow traps out a few times with no baby YP found and I haven't seen any obviously yp in stomach contents of lm and I haven't caught any yp. The good news is that my preliminary numbers look like the lm wr are up some, but not much.
Questions: how big would yp fry be now if spawned in February or March? Would the fry be in similar locations as bg fry of 3-4"?
CMM don't be discouraged we cant catch any small perch in the minnow trap after 4 years. We can only catch them on a small hook in the spring 5-7". Made a few larger minnow traps and still can't catch any minnows. They are in there but different to trap.
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Thanks both of you. I may give the little piece of worm on a hook a try. I just bet the bg or re get to it first. I will look for egg strands again in late winter, early spring.
CMM
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