On another note...I built a couple clover leaf traps today, using an orange juice bottle filled with dry dog food for bait. I hoped to just catch a couple of fish with a short soak, just a test so to speak. After about an hour (I only deployed one trap in a corner that had just gotten first shade) I pulled it up and was amazed at what it caught. There were 18 sunfish of different species. I expected GSF and possibly a pumpkinseed or maybe one of the larger BG I stocked last week (which were present), but the majority were BG! From 4 inches long to 1 1/2. A Redbreast about 3", a Warmouth fry, and a Redear fry! I figured the flood probably deposited a bunch of BHC and GSF, but apparently the BG, Warmouth and Shellcrackers swam in too. A second soak in a different spot for 30 minutes resulted in about 12 fish, mostly BG again. Sadly, no more Shell Crackers. It appears the BG prefer to hang out deeper as I had no idea they were there in those numbers.

What's a man to do? How do you manage a pond with this diversity? Without a doubt, I gotta get me some predators in there pretty soon.

Last edited by Mike Whatley; 05/18/18 07:51 PM.
.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!