Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Pond evaluation questions

I have a 5 acre pond that has been established for 10+ years. I've owned it for 1 1/2 years and have been slowing trying to improve it. The pond currently has LMB, BG, shiner, and speckled catfish according to the report. My goal is to have a pond that I can take the grandkids fishing and enjoy catching some decent sized bass. The fishery guy referred to the pond as a "wild" pond because of the natural shallows that were formed when the pond was built. Basically it was a flowing creek that someone build a dam across to establish the pond. I had it electrofished about a month ago and am looking for a second opinion on the recommendations that were made. My first question is to find out if their is some formula that is used to determine the number of fish that are needed per acre for an established pond. The fishery guy recommended that I add 5,000 Coppernose Bluegill 4" to 5" in the spring. I have the results from the evaluation but the report and the conversation we had on the day of the electrofishing don't support each other. I have a few more questions about the evaluation/recommendations but will save those for later in the thread.

Thanks for any and all advice,

Dean

Dean,

Given your goal, read this thread front to back. You will get the results you are looking for .... guaranteed.

JMHO. I wouldn't stock 5000 4"-5" CNBG in your pond this spring. Did he tell you why so many of that size? What did say attempting to gain your confidence in that approach? What else was recommended to support this action? Some people are smooth talkers and are experts at gaining confidence and making sales. I would tread carefully because something tells me you will be disappointed in the return of this investment ... even while he's totally satisfied. When it doesn't work, and it probably won't, there will be plenty more recs, probably as costly as this one.

You mention that you just want to take your grandkids fishing and catch some decent sized bass. Take them fishing, I guarantee you that they will enjoy the fish that are there. Grow the bigger bass for yourself and they will enjoy them too, but they don't need bigger bass to have a great time right now. So take them fishing, harvest the LMB appropriately and have some shore lunches. What great memories you will make for your grandkids and yourself. Whatever, you would have spent on CNBG, I would spend that money on making a nice area for relaxing at and cooking your shore lunches. If you have money left over, think about fertilization and/or feeding but only if you think you don't have enough fish in that 5 acre pond. I mean, 5 acres will probably produce more fish than you want to harvest just as it is. Why compound the problem of too many fish with way too many fish?

Bocomo's thread is a text book example of how to transform and old pond like yours through fishing and harvest. I can understand if you are willing to fork out the bucks to start over and have a much better pond for a few years in just a couple years. After all, it's just money. But your post seems to be asking do you really need to spend $7500 right now to have bigger bass. The answer is no, you don't. In fact this rec will not help you unless you spend a lot more money fertilizing and enhancing carrying capacity. It's just money and if it gives you what you want then it's money well spent. It's just that some tells me that this isn't the best path for you and the return of this expense won't be satisfying.

I think the GC need to be larger sized such as 24"-30" to readily eat milfoil. The stems of especially older plants are a little firmer and maybe not as easy to eat as the soft leaves and new sprouts. Stems are considered stout and leaves fairly soft.. It normally grows rooted to the bottom. The flowers (Jun-Aug depending on location) above the surface as pinkish spikes with tiny yellow flowers produce seeds but it mainly spreads by fragmentation and rhizome growth. After the fall flowering the plants usually die back to the root crowns which regrow in spring. This die back could be why you are now seeing large amounts wind rowed after wind events. When GC start eating Milfoil they do not get all the material in their mouth thus numerous plants escape and float. In mid season when you are seeing floating stems this is a sign the GC are working on it. Don't expect good control of it until your GC are bigger individuals.

Great advice so far. The 5 ac pond in its current condition grows quite a few fish, there are just not very many larger than 15". Maximizing production with liming is maybe not your best approach for your stated goals - "My goal is to have a pond that I can take the grandkids fishing and enjoy catching some decent sized bass." Even catching numerous BG can also be lots of constant active fun for kids and adults.

The pond in its current condition can achieve your goals as it has worked for Bocomo and many others. Maximizing production (liming) will make it more labor intensive to achieve your goals by later causing more recruited small bass that should be removed. Having more fish using increased fertility is not necessarily better as jpsdad already noted a couple times above. Your pellet feeding plan is a form or increased fertility without liming. Removing smaller predator bass allows for more BG to survive & reproduce feed remaining bass. I have calculated and estimated that EACH 10"-12" bass can eat around 250 small 2.5" to 3" BG per year. Follow closely the advice provided here so far and your pond will improve toward your goals; although it may take a few years as it did for Bocomo. Removing 20 LMB per acre for 5 acres (100annually from 5 ac) of water for several years takes quite a bit of time and effort. 10"-13" bass are basically one pounders so 100 smaller bass essentially weigh around 100lbs. Removing 100 smaller bass results in an extra 25000 more BG in your 5 acres. 25,000 added BG is 5 times more of extra BG than your pond management consultant recommended above that he suggested you buy and add. Please keep us advised as to your progress.