Originally Posted By: Bill Cody
IMO - The most effective thing you can do to reduce predation of the fry is to reduce the number of fry predators - shiners.


They have been hitting small jigs. I won't be putting any back. I thought my SMB would control them, plus some HSB. The GSH have been in three years, the (25) HSB and (60) SMB for two and a half yrs. (pond is a little less than an acre.)
We've kept two of the SMB that were caught by grandkids, and considered the largest fish ever seen. wink

I've put out traps over the years. Used to catch FHM. Lately I mostly catch small HBG, which may be evolving to GSF.. (as I also added 250 HBG 2+ yrs ago) I've been working hard to remove all the HBG I can. I am kicking myself for ever adding any.

Last edited by SetterGuy; 03/21/18 09:03 AM.
12 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep.
RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (decreasing), SMB, and HSB (only two have been seen in 5 yrs)
I think that's about all I should put in my little pond.
Otter attack in 2023.