Hey guys, been a while
I've got a shallow 3/4 acre pond in WI, currently running a 4 diffuser aerator. I have established populations of YP, GSF, and LMB; theoretically there should still be PKS but I have not seen them in a while. GSF between 4 and 6 inches have dominated the catches and I have seen smaller in the water. YP are present, I have caught 3 this year 8-8.5 inches. The only LMB I have seen were less than 2 inches and a single 7in individual that was rather thin. So basically I am worried that I need a predator to cut down on the GSF numbers, normally I would suspect they are stunted but their body condition is rather good. The LMB recruitment I am seeing suggests a decent population of adult fish, but I have not seen one in a long time. The poor body condition of the one bass I have caught this year suggests that I need to make some changes.
The other problem I have is too much chara and duck weed, but I already have a possible solution in the works. Namely a KASCO Marine AquatiClear Water Circulator - 1hp, which I already have but the power is not yet wired so it is not installed yet. The idea here is to move a little water so the chara cannot grow to the surface and the duckweed can't sit on top of it. I also am hoping that it can help dig the pond out a little bit as I could use some more depth.
Here is where I want some input;
1. Should I stock say 20# of fatheads in fall to bump the growth/health of the bass?
2. Should I stock a new predator to temporarily deal with the small sunfish?
3. If I want to sample the fish in a more effective way than hook and line, should I get a seine or fyke net?
My brainstorming for a predator is to stock either WE or CC. I understand that WE working is a long shot but I like that they absolutely cannot reproduce and become a problem. Also I kinda hope that my artificial current could help them survive summer, although my pond does not heat up that much. I have had CC in the past before a recent fish kill so I know they would survive, but I am not sure they would help as much as they are not as big of piscivores as WE. I am not too fussed if the WE do not work, and I would really like to find a source of Saugeye but what do you guys think?
