Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Fly Fishing & Other Fish Species Cypress Bass Appeared in Newly Stocked Pond

Hey all,

I would like to get some thoughts on what I should do.

I had my 1-7/8 acre pond constructed in November of 2011 and stocked it with 1,000 Copper-nose Bluegill, 500 Native Bluegill, 300 Readear & 10 lbs of fathead minnows at the end of January of 2012. I noticed a few weeks ago that there was something splashing like a big fish hitting the fathead minnows but was never able to get a view of the fish. The following evening I was at the edge of the southern end of the pond watching the fathead minnows feeding on algae & duckweed. I had my shotgun handy for the appearance of a snake and a aka Shoe-pic / Cypress Bass / Mud-fish came up the the edge where I was and took a gobble of my fatheads, Needless to say, he made the transition into the next life without a delay.

The problem is today there was a school of aka Shoe-pic / Mud-Fish / Cypress Bass fingerlings swimming by looking as though they own the joint. My plan is to add my bass in late July but uncertain if I should stock them now or continue to wait till July? If I stock now, should I get 1-3" bass or go bigger since I have a predator, or more, in the pond now.

This all took place about 30 days ago and have not seen a single fathead minnow in the pond since.

I have a Hunter fish feeder that came in a month ago but have not set it up yet but will get that into play in the next couple of days. I have my aquamax here at home just waiting on the feeder to be set up.

I have an aeration system, 3 stations with 2 9" diffuses at each station, running 24/7 from Mr. Ted Lea and working like a rented mule with no complaints.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Couppedeville

From a little searching, the fish you are referring to is most commonly called a bowfin. However, its got the following names: grinnel, brindle, blackfish, mudfish, dogfish, shoepike, cypress bass, cypress trout, choupique, scaley cat, buglemouth bass, German bass, spottail, grinner, and brindlefish. Wow! Anyways...

I wouldn't panic. Bowfin are not prolific fish, once your bass get in they will keep their reproduction to a minimum. They most likely will always be present in your pond but I wouldn't stress it too much. Your bass should out compete them.

With that in mind... I'd try to get your bass stocked now and you do want to stock advanced sized fish. I'd look at stocking fish at least 8", but even 10" or 12" fish would be ideal. 50 bass in the 8"+ range should get you off to a great start...

Look like this one that came out of our pond ?




Shotgun with 6 shot will get rid of a lot of the babies.

Bowfin! Man, those are cool fish.

I have seen bowfisherman using spotlights at night to shoot these and carp. Wonder how they got in there?

That's one nice looking male bowfin. I haven't caught many but the few I have fight like a team of horses.

We target those bowfins in MN lakes with our fly rods and poppers. Early summer in shallow just starting to get weedy bays. Awesome fish to catch!!

That thing looks like a snake head, and I can't stand snake heads. Did I mention I HATE snake heads. It's not my pond but I would consider killing the pond and starting over. I could see 2 years down the road watching a bowfin eat a LMB and that would send me over the edge. That isn't a fish I would want in my pond.

Tuff call, I wish you the best in whatever you do with it. Sorry to hear you have them.

Found this link..

http://www.wvdnr.gov/fishing/snakehead.shtm

Aren't bowfin prehistoric fish? They breathe air, have lungs, maybe?

Yes, bowfins are ancient fish able to gulp air and obtain oxygen via it. Snakeheads are very different fish... The media and fish and game agencies like to over play them big time. The Japanese are trying to eradicate our LMB becaue they are wiping their snakeheads out, not the other way around!

The issue with killing the pond off and starting over is, there is no guarantee they won't get back into the pond again. I highly doubt bowfins came in via stock contamination, so most likely they came in via a feeder creek or some high water event. So, if they found the pond once, they'll find it again.

CJBS2003,

Thanks so much for the advice on how to advance. I will make a call today and see if I can get 8"+ bass from our local fish farm.

This brings up another question. I noticed the Bluegill appear to be nesting or gathering in 1 particular area so by adding the larger bass now, will I need to get larger Bluegill as well as my stock fish? The 1,500 Bluegill I put in late January of 2012 were 1-3" fish and by adding the advance size bass now will this change the dynamics of the pond? And if the suggestion to add additional Bluegill is the way to go, what size & quantity would you suggest?

I am greatly appreciative of all the advise you and the other pond boss members so eagerly offer. It is humbling, thanks once again.

Couppedeville

ewest,

That is the culprit I have living the good life in my new pond. I would have to say that the one I assisted in advancing into the next life was a tad bit smaller, maybe 2-3" smaller.

Spinnerbait,

This pond used to be a slew bottom that ran North to South with a bayou East of it that also runs North to South. It has a watershed of about 4 acres and many, many years ago, my grandfather raised cattle & horses in this same area. Since the slew bottom would always go dry in the summer, he had a dozer come in and push out the slew bottom to about 6' deep on the South end and about 3' on the northern end. This gave the animals a place to drink and cool off in the Louisiana heat. Since then, he sold all the animals and retired and the pasture became a farming area. Needless to say the rain would wash the topsoil into the pond and ended up filling the 6' southern end to about 3'. So, I have heavy equipment come in, dam off the norther, eastern & southern end making a staple looking levee capturing the 4 acres watershed. My original plan was to dig out the silt/muck and extend the pond. I spoke to the contractor, he accepted the job and said he would be back in about a month. 3 months later the pond had almost completely lost all the water except about a strip that was maybe 6' wide, 3-4 inches deep and 40 yards long. I watched this and never saw a single movement in the water. The next week the much needed rain came and covered the pond bottom with water and then the contractor showed up while I was away on business and began work. Once I found out about it, he was 31 hours into it by clearing trees and such. There was 2 much water to dig out the much so I elected to widen the pond and use the clay for the levee, add aeration to the other part of the pond and go from there. I have to assume that the bow-fin was in the mud and didn't come up until the water rose.

Sorry for the long response, just wanted to give you all some background of what got me to where I am now.

Couppedeville

Spinnerbait,

I like the idea of night fishing/hunting these pre-historic creatures. Think I will take the spot light, 4 wheeler, and a rifle and see what I can see under the cover of night.

I did some research on Google and found out the Louisiana record is just over 21 lbs. Man, he must have been in the perfect environment for that kind of growth plus I'm sure his age was a huge factor.

Anyone know how to age a bow-fin?

Couppedeville

CJBS2003,

I called Overton's, Dunns fish farm and Shephards fish farm and no one has 6-8" bass available until later in the year. I was told by all 3 that they would have 1-3" fingleings available by the end of the month and to call back.

I did some internet searches and found out the mudfish does not readly control Bluegill may not be fast enough to catch a bass fingerling. I guess I have no other choice but to hunt at night and wait on the bass to grow out for a later in the year stocking.

Couppedeville

Hang in there, hopefully you don't have too many bowfin in the pond. Like I said, they aren't overly prolific fish. If anything, just look at them as bonus fish. They will compete with your bass some, but they aren't gonna take the place over. If you have to wait til fall for bigger bass, don't be too concerned. By then the 1"-3" sunfish you stocked should be plenty large enough to avoid being 8" bass food and then you can stock the bass without worry of them eating all your newly stocked sunfish. In the mean time, I'd fish the pond for any present bowfin and hunt them at night as well. You most likely have some other unwanted species in there too that were present in the mud hole like bullheads... Keep us updated on your progress!

My 6 year old was able to remove another Bowfin yesterday out of the pond. Man, was he excited to have caught such a "Long Fish" as he called it. He had a ultralight spincast with 6 lb test and a #6 long shank brim hook with a worm on it.

I had also removed another smaller Bowfin about 2 months ago with my 380 pistol. I was hand feeding and he came up like a submarine. I'm not sure if he wanted the feed or smaller fish but he was there lurking.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZySgbyTqxG4/UEDRAUqnmXI/AAAAAAAAJCU/JMQrIPBFBOg/s800/DSCF0549.JPG

We still see some splashes here and there but they appear to be hanging out near the feeder where it drops from a 1' to 12' hole.

Coupe