Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pond observation question?

I went fishing today for the first time this year at the pond. I was amazed at how clear the water was. Much clearer than it was last fall. It was sunny today and I had polaroid fishing glasses on and I could see the bottom much farther out and deeper than ever. I noticed stumps that I had not seen before. Anyway, as I'm standing there looking, here comes a school of baitfish all swimming together in a bunch, they were moving real slow, staying bunched up, There was about 50 or 60 I would guess, all of them looked around 5" long. They were a good ways out from shore hugging the dropoff to deeper water. They were shaped like little sharks.

This is a LMB, BG only pond, that was stocked 50 years ago. I couldn't believe my eyes. What was that? Please tell me that I saw a school of Golden shiners.

You DID see sharks. Little bitty sharks. Google Bull Sharks.

There are aquarium fish that look like sharks in shape, but I doubt they would thrive in a pond in Maryland. Then again they are tough, so who knows? Set out a trap and see.

Esshup, funny you mention bull sharks. Last year I was wade fishing at Point Lookout, and a week later they caught 2 bull sharks in the pound nets that were both 8' long and weighed over 200 lbs. I could see the nets not too far from where I was fishing.

Liquidsquid, I am definitely going to put out minnow traps. I have to know what they are. I talked to the old farmer and he said a long time ago a friend of his use to fish the pond with shiners.

If the pond was stocked 50 years ago, it may be time for some fresh (different) genetics to be introduced. Just a thought.

Don't catfish stay in balls like that protected by the male till a certain size? That would seem too big of fish though for a spawn of catfish.

As a kid I remember seeing the balls of young catfish about an inch or two long near the bank in shallow water.

Also be the wrong time of year for catfish spawn wouldn't it?

Snrub, I have seen that before too. Very small catfish bunched up in a school, swimming close to shore. But the ones I have seen were very small less than one inch. I don't know if bullheads or CC do this.

Black Bullhead YOY also hang close to shore in tight schools.

I think it is probably bullheads that I would have seen because every creek around here has them in it. I think they are yellow bullheads here though, but not for sure.