Forums36
Topics40,899
Posts557,082
Members18,451
|
Most Online3,612 Jan 10th, 2023
|
|
8 members (homewardbound, Justin W, Sunil, DenaTroyer, Freg, Donatello, jludwig, catscratch),
756
guests, and
207
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3
|
OP
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3 |
Hey guys, I recently moved to a 55 acre lake in Northern WI. The lake according to the last DNR electrofishing report it is about 75% LMB. Based on what we catch and see I would agree on these numbers. There are some decent sized BG and a few small YP, just not in great numbers. Any suggestions on how to get this more balanced? Just keep pulling all of the LMB that I can?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 517 Likes: 38
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 517 Likes: 38 |
55 acres is too big to make any sort of dent in the fish population by angling, imo. Sure, you can keep removing the small bass, but if this is a public lake, you would need to adhere to the local bag limits, probably 5 per day like most states.
"In the age of information, ignorance is a choice." - Donny Miller
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 129 Likes: 11
|
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 129 Likes: 11 |
And size restrictions if public.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,026 Likes: 274
Moderator Lunker
|
Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,026 Likes: 274 |
It would be tough to fish it into balance with a shortage like that. Was it ever correctly stocked?
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3
|
OP
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 534 Likes: 76
|
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 534 Likes: 76 |
I'll defer to our experts, but after reading the DNR report, it seems that productivity may be low. As it is not your personal lake, you probably can't dump money into it.
Do you own waterfront property? If so, check in to feeding the prey species, specifically bluegill, along your shoreline. In time, you'd attract plenty of fish. The sunfish and perch would show up for chow; some bass would follow. I don't know if this would be considered "chumming" in Wisconsin. Chumming is illegal out here in the wild west.
It amazed me that the fish were so small. That may reflect the sampling technique and timing. Our experts can advise.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 517 Likes: 38
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 517 Likes: 38 |
Interesting that the lake was stocked with Pike at one point but none showed up in the survey. Below-average Bass and slightly-above-average Bluegill, hmmm.... I'm brainstorming here, trying to figure out why the bass are abundant, but small. Do you know if there are any bait fish? None showed up in the survey. You're too far north for shad, but you'd think some shiners or alewife would've shown up. If the bass are solely relying on eating young bluegills, perch and crappie, could that affect their growth? And the lack of another predator (pike, pickerel, musky) to control the YoY bass might be a factor. Just some thoughts from a non-expert :P
"In the age of information, ignorance is a choice." - Donny Miller
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57
|
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,668 Likes: 57 |
To thin the lmb why not stock Musky. It's my understanding that they will put a dent in the lmb numbers if enough were stocked? You would have to stock a size larger than the lmb could eat but it seems to me by stocking Musky your surviving lmb would grow larger and your Musky would grow to larger size for fishing. Win/Win Maybe stock one per acre.
Last edited by TGW1; 07/17/20 06:06 AM.
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
Tracy
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,939 Likes: 268
Moderator Lunker
|
Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,939 Likes: 268 |
I don't know if this would be considered "chumming" in Wisconsin. Chumming is illegal out here in the wild west. I thought the Wild West started at the Mississippi. Specifically Minneapolis.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3
|
OP
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 3 |
Yes, it is waterfront property and I have began to feed. I do not understand the survey. I'm sure it depends where on the lake it was taken, how far out and how long they spend. I have caught quite a few bluegills bigger than what was mentioned in the survey. Overall the fish numbers seem low. It looks like they also did one in 94 and it shows a walleye and a northern were caught. There seems to be plenty of habitat especially after last year when a windstorm basically took out all of the trees placing many in the water. I have been talking to the DNR to remove or reduce the 14" minimum on bass, they have done so on multiple other lakes in the area.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 517 Likes: 38
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 517 Likes: 38 |
Yes, it is waterfront property and I have began to feed. I do not understand the survey. I'm sure it depends where on the lake it was taken, how far out and how long they spend. I have caught quite a few bluegills bigger than what was mentioned in the survey. Overall the fish numbers seem low. It looks like they also did one in 94 and it shows a walleye and a northern were caught. There seems to be plenty of habitat especially after last year when a windstorm basically took out all of the trees placing many in the water. I have been talking to the DNR to remove or reduce the 14" minimum on bass, they have done so on multiple other lakes in the area. Hmm, I think that could be a problem, too. Too much habitat can actually be a bad thing, because it allows more fingerlings to survive by escaping predation. In your case, there aren't any predators that will eat a baby bass more than a couple inches. The Bluegill and Crappie can eat the small ones, but once they reach maybe 2 inches, the LMB are fairly safe. I think Tracy's idea makes sense, add some Musky or maybe even some Pike again, and should improve both the bass fishing and give a new, large predator that should thrive on the abundant, small LMB.
"In the age of information, ignorance is a choice." - Donny Miller
|
|
|
Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
|
|