Late last summer I stocked 5 pounds of #20, approximately 3.5" long, 250 count, Anderson minnow farm golden shiners in our 1/4 acre cool water pond. There were few morts a time of stocking. For a few days I could observe small schools of them swimming together.
In February when I first tried fishing the pond, I caught and released 1 GSH about 7" long. On my first cast no less, and the only fish I've ever caught in a February from the pond. Then in late May , few a few days, I could observe 2 GSHs moving around together and eating the occasional Endurance pellet. I've seen no shiners since that time.
Elodea is thick in the pond, covering 40% of the area and now rising to the surface. I've raked some channels through the weeds and often see the other fish species using these "highways". I've not seen the rippling water described in other posts as evidence of feeding schools of shiners.
There are fewer than 10 predators in the pond that could eat prey of this size, including several LMB, 1 SMB, 1 GSF. Is it likely that the shiners are out there and reproducing and I just can't see any?
I would like to sample the GSH population to get an idea if I need to restock. What techniques might I use for a small, weedy, relatively shallow (8' max depth) BOW? I've considered anchoring in the open water middle and fishing with a small piece of worm under a bobber. I'd be fighting off the BG and GSF with that plan.
