This is a great forum, gives many of us a way to bounce things off of some very talented and experienced people here. I thank everyone who has ever taken the time to discuss such things as crappie for lmb forage. And Thank you KKL for showing your Lone Starr Legacy photo. I would be proud to have that 17 mo. old in my pond
And to share my thoughts on surveying early in this ponds life, I would say many things swing me toward wanting a survey at this time. Pond management for one. I also live with chronic pain and seining would make my day a little tougher. So shocking would help me over seining.
#1, Like Stickem, only one LMB has been caught since stocking and that was in Nov. I consider myself to be a good fisherman, I have won several lmb tournaments and I know how to fish, and like Stickem, I think lack of catching may be due to high forage stocking rates of FHM's,CNBG,RES,TFS and TP. Others here might learn that heavy stocking of forage may slow the lmb bite, if that is the situation here.
#2, No lmb has been seen in the shallows after stocked, may be due to fertilization. Reduced visibility into the water when keep at or near 18" LMB survivability questioned?
#3, LMB numbers for pond management. Many posts here on this forum has recommended stocking 50 lmb per acre. I went with 85, I would like to see when and where I am at, giving me a better game plan.
#4, I saw this past 11 months, when stocking Tp with no predators, they reproduce like crazy and this yr they may have lived through our winter here. We had a big die off of Tp in January. This brought in Commorants, and on two occasions I had 50 + on the pond an will see one or two daily during and after Tp winter die off. We checked the pond everyday for these birds. I turned a feeder on 4 days ago and yesterday I know I saw maybe a few Tp at the feeder along with CNBG. This might change my future Tp stocking.
#5, Tp became feeder hogs to the point I saw fewer CNBG at the feeders as we entered this past fall. What are the CNBG doing as far as numbers, size etc. And have seen only two Res since stocked.
#6, Commorants, after one of the big groups of birds I found 2 HBS yoy dead and floating, 100 floating 3 to 4"TFS and 2 - 7" CNBG dead and floating and 2 RES floating. How much damage did they do to the pond?
I have a goal with this pond and I hope ESS will help me make adjustments as needed, even if it might not answer all the questions I have.
Looking back on this post, maybe I should have told all this before I asked opinions, I just did not want it to be a long post, I am long winded as it is.
And as several have suggested in this past year, I listen to Todd when he makes recommendations. Thank again Todd and Walt has also helped when asked.
PS, adding a scarecrow at the pond seamed to have helped in reducing the visits from those dam birds
Tracy
