Snipe, I'd love to know what you tried and how you struggled with the spotfins. Maybe we can combine our experience and find out what is different.

I have really done nothing unusual in my pond. The SFS are exploding. The first 2 summers I put in a few spawning devices (2 stacks of CDs, 2 stacks of plastic cardboard) The CDs had eggs, the plastic cardboard did not. I saw a couple different spawns the first two years.

This summer I placed only 2 CD stacks but also put in 4 pallets and also a tire with exposed treads (meaning not a bald tire) under the deeper end of the pallet to keep it level on a slope. We have so many SFS fry I fear overpopulation.

The only other change this year is that due to being way too busy and not very strong physically, I left all the algae go. I have algae covering the water from shore out at least 15-20 feet most of the way around the pond. Probably 40% of the total surface area is one mass of algae. But it probably gave lots of cover for the minnows that they didn't have in the past. In the past I chased every strand of algae down and removed it. Whether that is it or not I don't know.

I think the bigger issue may be water chemistry. I'm wondering if a certain pH or hardness or calcium content or lack of calcium or whatever is really the key here. I have a ground water pond, I can fill from my well but have not had to this year as we have had a group of rain events come through that gave enough run off to keep the pond fairly full with soft rain water.

My initial stocked GSH from 7 years ago are pretty much done having any young GSH, I only have the large adult GSH left (6-9" long). No FHM survived after multiple stocking attempts. Probably I could stock now and they would have a place to hide in all those SFS.

Predators are only YP. My attempts to establish RES and LES failed. I'm putting a few bonus pumpkinseed in but so far do not have a reproducing population.