Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Need help with 30 acre and 2 acre ponds

I have been spending a lot of time reading the forums and appreciate all of the information everyone has to offer. I just wanted to make sure I am on the right track for my ponds. Ill describe them here and my plan.

Located in NY
Pond 1
-30 acres, man made around 40 years ago, spring fed, muddy bottom
- Stocked with BG and LMB and contains bull head catfish now, also has 12 year old grass carp which are starting to die off (Cant remember the last time I snagged on a weed there is so little vegetation left)
- 10 years ago it was fished by my family and we pulled a few hundred fish out a year, last 5-10 years no fish have been pulled out because of catch and release

Problem: there is very little vegetation due to the grass carps but lately there has been an increase, the LMB are thin and 6-12 inches and caught on every other cast, and BG are 5-6 inches but not caught nearly as frequently as the LMB.

What I will do: Take out a few hundred (200-400) LMB this spring and summer in the 8-10 inch range to help the BG thrive, and let the vegetation grown back. Watch the quality of the bass and continue to take fish out every year.



Pond 2
2 acres, man made, spring fed, mud bottom stocked with only LMB and nothing else. Cat tails around it as the only real vegetation, last 10 year only catch and release

Problem: Fish are between 5-10 inches with one large 24 inch LMB present but nothing even close to it.

What I will do: try and take 50-60% of the fish population of the pond (not sure which size to target) and eventually introduce BG into the population that are larger right before the spawn for the season. Then I will continue to take out bass and monitor the quality of fish over the next years.

I wanted to make it as straight to the point as I could so people would not get board reading it. Any and all input will be appreciated. Thank you!!!

While I am no expert I did have the same problem in my 15 acre pond as you have in your 30 acre pond.

Ours is about 35 years old and about 5 years ago we started a rehab program.

Year one we stock copper nose blue gill and thread fin shad and remove 300 pounds of bass 12" and shorter.

Year two and three we removed 450 pounds of bass 14" and shorter.

Year four and five we removed 300 pounds of bass 16" and shorter. We are doing this again this year.

We have seen a dramatic increase in relative weight and are catching lots of 20-24 inch bass.

No expert here either but it looks like to me in the 2 acre pond taking that 24" LMB out would give your BG stocking a lot better chance of being successful.

Saint878, welcome to the forum. With the 30 ac lake, I think your target numbers should be 30 pounds of LMB per acre, no matter how many fish that equals to.

Thanks for all the imput. I think i remember reading the 30lbs per acre. Do you think the 8-10 inch is the area to target or should I take out some 11-12 inch bass as well?

Go to the archives and print out the relative weight chart for LMB. Check the relative weights of the LMB that you are catching and take out the ones that have the lowest relative weight. But, if you catch one smaller one for every 6-10 larger ones, and the larger ones are also under RW (WR), then I would just go on the relative weight numbers, not concentrating on any one size.

Anything under 90RW from now 'till they spawn, and anything under 80RW immediately post spawn. Slowly ramp up the RW figure as you get closer to Fall.

After catching enough LMB, you'll know what ones to remove just by looking at them.

The total weight matters more than where you take it from, at least in the beginning.

The RW chart will tell you which weight class is the most crowded.

It would help to know the size distribution of bass in the population. If you catch 20 fish how many are 8-12 inches,12-15 inches and longer than 15 inches? An excellent proportional size distribution (PSD) for fish over 12 inches is 60. An excellent proportion longer than 15 inches is 10 to 20. Thin where you have a surplus in that size group.

Look for trends in the data. Look for fish in good condition in the fall. You are right on to evaluate RW as a function of length. It is another measure of structure to help decide should I keep this fish or put it back.

Keep taking <12 in bass until the number 8-12 equals number 12-15. Ideal pond structure is 40% 8-12, 40% 12-15 and 20% 15+


http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=23591&page=1

Its been about 3 years since I have caught a 12+ inch bass. And 3 years ago I caught a sickly 21 inch bass that was way under weight and all bone and head, and other than that nothing larger than 12 inches. (Me and others have pulled out 200-500 fish in the last 4 years and released them)

As soon as it gets warmer I will head out there with a scale and see how my fish match up to the weight/size chart and start thinning it out.

Thanks for the info anything else anyone has to add is greatly appreciated!!