Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Chain Pickerel in a small pond - good or bad idea?

I have introduced a small number of adult-size chain pickerel into an existing small pond in SC. Basic reason is primarily to have a more diverse fishery (they aggressively eat artificials and stay fairly active in the winter in SC). Are there any problems with having the chains in a small pond, do they negatively compete with LMB, or out-reproduce them in a small environment? This is a pond about 1 1/2 - 2 acres...not very deep (max depth is 8-9 ft)...has a pretty healthy weed base of various lily pads surrounding entire shallow edge. It is not a new pond, and has an established population of LMB, BG, RES, and a few channel cats. The pickerel (only 7 or 8 adult size fish) were introduced during the past 2 winters. They apparently spawned in the spring because we are seeing quite a few little 'snakes' zipping around chasing minnows and have caught a couple on small lures. Does anyone foresee a problem with these being in a small pond? Would their numbers need to be monitored like you would the LMB, and remove some each year?

Yes, they will compete with bass and should be managed in a similar way. Often they are difficult to maintain in a pond with bass as they're all eaten. Your pond with the vegetation may be better habitat. I'd remove all caught under 12". Closely monitor your bass' relative weights to make sure enough forage is available. I enjoy CP as well, and think they have their place in ponds depending one's goals.

I wish that I would have access to your extras CP when I build my next pond, but you are too far away.

I am new to this forum. Is there anybody from the Maryland area who could answer a few questions.

Umm Clay why do we have to be from Maryland? Is the question you have specific to that area?

Just wondering.
RC

Clay, I'm not in Maryland but just across the Potomac River in Virginia...

As a follow-up to this, the chain pickerel experiment was a success. Put about 7 adult size CP in the pond...now it seems there are about 17,000 in there. We are having to remove them now to keep their numbers in check. Apparently they reproduce well in shallow, weedy small ponds. I think the bass are having a hard time controlling their numbers due to the vegetation in the pond. They are fun to catch though and add some nice diversity when the bass are not cooperative.

I'm pleased to hear from someone who's trying CP. Your motive seems to be one of the best � put a predator in the pond that will provide action when the others (LMB in your case) won't. And diversity is always nice when it comes to a pond.

From all I've read, LMB will eventually eliminate CP if conditions are right for both of them. But maybe that's not necessarily true. I would think, and hope, that you can control the ratio to suite your wishes through fishing. At any rate, I hope you will continue to keep us posted on how this goes over time.

redneckfly - Maybe you could work out a deal with Rainman to pickup some of your excess chain pickerel and distribute them to others here on the forum wanting some chain pickerel? Chain pickerel could be beneficial bonus predators in ponds with good weed control so the pickerel don't reproduce well and don't become overabundant.

Keep us updated about your chain pickerel. Any pictures of the offspring?

I think a CP x musky hybrid would be awesome for southern pond owners that are little too warm for the NP x Musky hybrids

A fish I am not at all familiar with so looked it up. Not in my area.

http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=681

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_pickerel

I put some redfin in my little pond couple years ago and they never caught on. now there still are a few jackfish in it. Fun fight and they will get some pretty good air. maybe the bass eat the little redfins. but man those redfins are some good eating.

Something you often see when you read an article about pickerel is that the smaller the species of pike the poorer the table fare. I've never eaten any of the pickerel, but I'm guessing this is something that was written ages ago and has, like many other things that aren't true, been repeated over and over again by people who really don't know what they're talking about. But everyone to his or her own tastes. Some people like to eat trout and others don't.

Are chain pickerel permitted in central Indiana?

RAH, I didn't see them on an Approved Aquatic Species list, but call Randy Lang with IDNR, and they'd likely be approved

RAH,

Check with your DNR, or Dept. of Conservation, or whatever it's called in IN. It seems that most States have either a list of approved species or a list of prohibited species. If IN has a list of approved species and CP aren't on it, you might look into what would have to be done to try to get them approved. If you talk to someone with the State, you may have to press them a bit to be sure you're getting the right answer. I talked to several people in WI and got several different answers. If you talk to someone, be sure they know which fish you're talking about. They may assume you're talking about northern pike or some other fish. That happened to me. First the official said "Sure they're legal." Then is said there's no such fish as a chain pickerel, then he looked them up and said they're not native in WI so they can't be raised, or stocked, or sold there. He said he'd been in his position for 20 yr and had never heard of chain pickerel.

Just thought that someone here might know the answer. I think that I will focus on setting up my next pond to favor walleye reproduction. Those should be much easier to source anyway.

Walleye are much better table fare than pickerel who have Y bones between the meat flakes.

I grew up catching CP and would like to have this fish in one of my ponds, but if it is not compatible with the local environment, then walleye will have to do.

CP are more fun for fishing, however I would eat walleye with a smile on my face!

I prefer fish over meat, but I do not fish for eating.

WE are tops for eating, but rather mediocre when it comes to fighting. If I had my druthers, I druther have everything.

We have CP here in Arkansas and they are fun to catch given they are of decent size. Don't know if I would want tons of little ones swimming around in my pond though. Rule of thumb has always been only 1 top predator in a small pond of 1 to 1.5 acres. So if LMB is your top predator already and now you throw in CP you better have one heck of a forage base or it could get way off in about 2 to 3 years.

Heck I have a hard enough time keeping up with my small bass that need to be taking out let alone a bunch of small CP too! If they were like HSB and didn't spawn in a pond that would be great!!!

RC

My interest in CP is as a top predator in my next (3rd) pond. Have a LMB pond and a SMB pond already going.

RAH,

CP and SMB are supposed to be compatible in the same BOW. Both prefer cool, clear water, but one prefers shallow, weedy water, and the other prefers deeper water with a sandy or rocky bottom, or so I've read. I have no personal pond experience with either. But if you have 3 ponds and can dedicate one to each of the 3 species, that sounds like the way to go.

RC51,
I lived within a few miles of the 11 pt River, which flows out of MO into AR, until I moved last year. I always thought it looked like a good SMB stream, but didn't learn it is a CP fishery until after I moved. For various reaons, I never fished it.