Hey guys/gals,
Guess I have too many bluegills or sunfish in my 1 1/2 acre pond. They automatically swim up to you and take a bite or nibble. Yesterday my brother actually had his nipple cut from reacurring nipple nibbles I heard something about how we can stock the pond with larger fish that will feed off the smaller fish. Hope someone could lead the way because we'd sure like to swim this summer!

Thanks much,
Ken

Welcome to Pond Boss!!!

The nipping is a characteristic of Bluegills. Usually Largemouth Bass are also stocked to help control their numbers.

I don't think larger fish are going to solve your problem in time for this summer's swimming season. In fact, stocking a predator fish typically only reduces the number of pan fish. They will still be there just no so many. If fact, you might even see the larger sized panfish get bigger once the possible overpopulation problem is taken care of. There can be a lot to turning a pond's population around, you have come to the right place. Welcome!

A simple, quick solution: Before hitting the pond, coat your brother's nips with Tabasco. Even if the BG still bite, he probably won't notice...

I just got out of my pond. Ouch! The HBG are still biting! Two things I had heard, but not confirmed before I stocked HBG were that HBG would not bite swimmer (really floaters) like BG bite, which is totally false. A regular BG can't bite any more than these HBG do. And, that once the fish get bigger, they will quit biting swimmers/floaters. This is another false rumor. We caught 40 or 50 last week, all were much larger than any HBG we caught last year. Needless to say they are still biting. Ha! I had to swim with a shirt on.
I'm not putting any HBG back in the pond once caught.. I've said before my HBG were crossbred with piranhas..

Wear a Tshirt.

Not pasties? I can see how tassles wouldn't be practical, but a simple pasty ought to do the trick, right?

Good grief!

Our HBG quit biting years ago. Good thing too, as a bite from one now would require stitches or staples to close the wound..............

Seriously though, SOMETHING must be different. I hear of other people getting bit, and the supposed willingness to always bite a hook, and we simply do not see either scenario.

Personally, I think our low stocking numbers account for the difference, as well as promote growing big fish.

I have found in situations where the fish are biting your nips so much that it is ruining your swimming experiences that the pond can be culled of the more aggressive biters by using this specialty lure (picture attached). This lure is very hard to come by as it requires an organ donor and, of course, those can be far and few between. The attached photo only depicts the model that targets fish that prefer male nipples because the lure that targets those of the opposite gender might get me banned from PB and I don't need that. Both models are available, but the nonphoto'd version must be bought sight unseen.

Thanks for all the humorous answers guys, especially the nipple hook LOL! Could I just gather them up and then blast them with a bird shot gun shell? Is that the solution...just reduce the quantity of them in the pond?

Ken

Projectiles from a gun do not penetrate water with much force (especially shot guns) although I know several guys that would love the opportunity to BLAST at your fish. If reducing the number of fish is your goal, you would be best to start trapping them and relocating them to the freezer/fryer. Killing the pond would certainly be an option, but I don't know enough about that to advise on the effects of human swimmers. I guess you would have to decide which world you want at your pond, swimming or fishing? And how soon could you swim in it after poisoning the water? Check into the 4 leaf clover fish traps, I have read many accolades for that design for catching pan fish. Reducing the number of fish should reduce the bites, but will not eliminate it I suspect. Eliminating the fish WILL eliminate the bites.

Toss your brother in and when they swarm, just holler to him to dive then start firing!

For easier displeasure...:

I wonder when Purina and Optimal will manufacture special nipple shaped food pellets for Hybrid Bluegills? Sounds like a great business opportunity!

Besides, when the feeders go off, people could swim for a few minutes until the HBG return to the dock area. Even better, anyone who swims without your permission will have that activity nipped in the bud...

I swam again yesterday. Stayed away from the dock, away from my submerged cedars, and sort of kept moving around. No bites. Much better. I've got some freckles on my back, and moles. Those are the targets, they can't get me head on. (Nips)
I would have to use a mole luer.. I don't like swimming in a t shirt..