Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Seining as way to cull slot bass?

Hey guys I need to cull slot size bass from my main bass pond. I have been fishing for them and have only removed about 10. Mainly because I don't get to go often to fish. I would like to get more like 80+ out.

I have a 50ft by 4ft seine, however the mesh is very small. Would it be big enough to do some good? I assume the bass could quickly learn to jump out? I have also never used a seine, and I know this one may be a little large to learn with but I look forward to learning.

I think I have several areas that the seine can be used in the pond, anyway Im going to give it a shot, just wondering if anyone has tried this before. I like this idea because I wont be culling as many fish that are willing to bite a lure.

Finally should I go parallel with the bank until I get to a corner, or do I keep the bank end stationary and make a U shape back around and repeat all the way down?

Any help or advice would be appreciated, worst case scenario I have a lot of fishing to do!

How deep is the pond and how wide at the widest point? What size are you attempting to cull out?

Never heard of a seine having too small of mesh. Too large yes, but too small, no. Smaller mesh is just more difficult to pull through the water.

its up to 15ft deep and no idea how wide (hundreds of feet). But it has lots of area that would be able to seine. I know ideally you want full coverage with a seine, just didn't know If I would be able to do small portions with some form of results. Looking to cull 10-15inch bass.

Maybe my idea would work with a bigger seine?

From my experience your seining will be an exercise in futility. Your bass will easily out manuver your seine by swimming under it and around it. I've even had some fish do this with a seine that goes across the entire pond and is 2 feet deeper than the maximum water depth!

You can always try and report back.

When I run a seine to collect forage fish, I often collect pretty large size game fish. I am sure a high percentage escape, but at least some are caught. I have found the murkier the water, the higher the catch rates on game fish. The bigger the net, but better the results as well. Technique is important, something you just have to do a bit to get the hang of it.

So true Travis. Seining is an art that one gets better at the more one does it. Going to seine my bluegill fry pond to remove the broodfish Sunday. I'm finally good enough to get 99 percent of the fish with a few passes. It's been a learning experience.
When I don't get Scott to help I seine myself. Surprisingly it's pretty effective by one's self. I think the fact that you can't go very fast helps.

Yes, you can catch a lot of them by just doing part of it at a time. We used to use a 50ft. seine to seine holes along the river when they got low in the summer. Muddy work, so we would stop at a 6 acre lake on the way home to swim off the mud and clean the seine. One guy would stay near the bank and the other go out 50ft. with the other end of the seine in about 5 feet of water. We'd walk parallel to the bank while seining and always dragged in a lot of fish out of that lake. Mostly bluegill and crappie but also stripped bass, LMB, and catfish. We once got a 30 lb. spoonbill cat in the catch and he was a chore.

thanks for the info poppy! im going to try it and give a report as soon as I can get someone to run the other end of the net for me! Glad to hear there is hope!

One key to seining is to go slow - very slow. LMB over 4 inches are hard to keep in a seine.

off topic a bit, has anyone used a seine net at a beach, bought one recently 50x6 I think. Will be at Saint Simons Island Georgia in a couple weeks playing with it and any help or suggestions would be appreciated, such as best tides ect.
Bill

But your seine reached the bottom correct? Sounds like jake's seine will be confined to along the shore due to it only being 4 feet deep. And were you seining lmb? Lmb are notorious for avoiding nets. When i worked for the DNR we rarely caught them in monofiliment gill nets.

Bill be sure that seining on a public water (I am assuming it is public) is ok. Many times its not. Do not try to seine against an outgoing tide - dangerous if currents exist.

Thanks Ewest, public beach, most of Georgia beaches are near barrier islands so currents and tides are not so bad. Watched some people do it last year and got a lot of blue crab and small fish. Fun to watch so thought I would try it.
trivia question which state has more shore line Georgia or Florida

Saltwater regs are usually less restrictive in the use of seines than are freshwater regs. I have used large seines in many different areas, to include ocean beaches, brackish water tidal flats, rivers and lakes. Always fun seeing what comes up...

Common sense would say Fla but something says Ga.

Bill, salt the area with boiled goobers before you seine. That oughta do it.

Trick question, depends on your what you count as shore line, if you count all the islands up and down Georgia's coast it is Georgia.
Dave me and my Sister have already discussed who is going to stop at a farmers market in South Georgia to pick up the green peanuts.
Here is where I got my net, good people to deal with.
www.goseining.com

What the heck is a "boiled Goober?" Those chocolate covered peanuts?

well I finally convinced my brother to help me, we made about 4 drags and hauled in one slot size bass, and about five that were 8 inch or smaller. Not as many CNBG as I expected, probably because of poor form or bad locations. The coolest thing we did catch was small tilapia, about the length of your fingernail. They look exactly like full size tilapia, quite comical to me how fat they were for how small they are. Basically as tall as they are long, but much thicker than comparable size CNBG. Also had all species of fish jump the net right at the end of the drag.

I thought this would be a good idea, but due to all the problems such as net only 4ft deep, few areas to seine, no help, etc. Its probably a failure. I have caught more slot bass in my cast net with much less work and can also do that by myself.

I was just trying to find some other way to cull slot bass besides hook and line or electrofishing.