Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations CNBG population control

I have seen the figure remove 60 lbs/acre/year of BG per year to prevent overpopulation. I have regarded this as a very ballpark figure, IT DEPENDS.The pond is heavy with the larger BG. Remove 180 pounds is not an easy task.

If the pond has moderate to heavy natural outside predation should not the number/acre be lower?

When the relative weights of the >6" CNBG are routinely very near 100% then the population is balanced for the pond if there are balanced numbers in all class sizes?

I have many CNBG >8" but very few with RWs at 100%, 80% is a more common number. I more often see 100% RWs in the <6" populations.

3 acre pond NE FL, hand feed 2 pounds/day, goal balanced CNBG/LMB fishery


All comments welcome.

This not meant as advice but wont the LMB keep the puplation in check?

You are right once I get the populations in balance the LMB will & I can easily keep the BG population under control. Then with a little effort by removing LMB I can keep the pond in balance.

I have some small skinny LMB. No one is big enough to chase down.catch, & eat a >7" BG. Even after removing most catchable LMB, not much has changed. The Big BG & little LMB have been Hunting down eating all the tiny BG before they become large enough to feed the LMB to grow big. The pond is almost ideal for BG fishing. This is an unusual pond & pond problem.

I am trying to find just a small sign that I am making some progress after 3 years of effort?

When i bought my property about 3 years ago it had a old pond loaded with GSF. My pond is almost a 1/4 acre. I added 25 LMB about 11/2 years ago. The Bass have all but wiped out the GSF, there are some GSF too big for the bass but that should change soon. My LMB are close to 2lbs.

60lbs of BG seems like a huge anount of panfish but im new to this so i dont really know. Good luck man, have fun!

The key that you are missing is the part that you posted above. "catchable" That's why you need to get an electroshock boat in there. You say one can't get there. You may be surprised at how small of an area is needed to put one in. I know that I am not there to see it, but I think that's your only choice. Get a shock boat in there and get a BUNCH of the LMB out of there that you can't catch.

esshup (and all others),

Now is the time of year when we start getting lots of posts about sampling the fish in our ponds. I know angling is the simplest, and electroshock surveys are the most comprehensive.

What are the good intermediate choices?

Is there any feasible way to create traps to sample LMB? For example, large fyke nets?

How good is a Livescope for true sampling purposes?

How effective is running a seine in a pond not designed for easy seining? How effective is seining when run by two amateurs, compared to guys that do it multiple times per year?

Thanks for any future input!

Intermediate choices would be a Z-Trap or a regular galvanized Gee trap for small fish. A Fyke net would work, but I have never caught a LMB or HSB in a Fyke Net and only 1 SMB.

Electroshock is the gold standard.

I have no experience with Livescope.

The seine is my 2nd choice, but like you said if there are weeds or underwater cover in the pond, the seine isn't an option. Maybe in certain areas like a beach, but it's a small sample area. Two amateurs won't be amateurs after a while. The seine needs to be spread out on the grass to dry before putting away or it will mold and rot.

Catfish and bullheads are a royal PITA to seine. You better have a pair of side cutters to cut their fins out of the seine.

Thanks for all of that great additional info.

"Intermediate choices would be a Z-Trap or a regular galvanized Gee trap for small fish. A Fyke net would work, but I have never caught a LMB or HSB in a Fyke Net and only 1 SMB." Essup above.

I am Happy with my 2 Z-traps (Reel Texas Outdoors). I have used them to survey, cull, & mark my CNBG population. One is a larger trap with larger entrances . The second is a standard size with standard entrances. I bait both with fish pellets & both are effective. The larger catching CNBG as big as 9".

I have not only caught BG but also YOY turtles, Crappies (I didn't know were in the Pond), LMB 10.5" & 4", & last night a 26" 1.5LB Eel. What the *#! is that? Many Years ago I had removed two eels fishing for BnBH & thought they were gone as I had not encountered any since. How they got in the pond ??? It was removed as I thought at more than 2 feet it could easily raid any spawning bed it choose to at night. Perhaps this has been another one of my many problems.

Wow J.E., your z-traps gave you a bunch of data points on fish that you didn't even know were in your pond!

I think we need more recommendations to newbies for setting some traps when they take over an old pond with an unknown stocking history or a connection to another body of water.

Use every sampling source available and compile the data. With all that showing up in your traps you have lots of unknowns.

"With all that showing up in your traps you have lots of unknowns." Ewest


With that just said to the list I now must add 3 CHRM all very dead. It must be breeding season. My first guess is Moccasins, short stubby tails, triangular heads, & a moccasin color & pattern. I hate snakes even dead ones. They are still in the trap, let whatever feast on them.

I agree.

The only good snake is a dead one. Even if they assist in culling YBH.

If you look closely at this picture you will see that there is about a 6 foot snake that has captured the YBH. I know it was not venomous but it still needed to meet it's maker. The snake caught it while I was feeding by hand. When I saw it swimming sideways towards me. I thought "What is wrong with that fish" when the snake was about 2 foot from me it was obvious.

The snakes in my creek that I observe eating a fish have caught their meal while it was hindered by vegetation.

I typically notice because the snake then spends ten minutes shaking its head in an attempt to swallow the meat while trying to NOT swallow any of the plant garnish.


P.S. Your snake certainly was ambitious.