Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking GSF and snakes

I have a 1/4 acre pond that is overrun with GSF and water snakes. My goal is to convert the pond to a BG only pond for fishing and forage. The 8 year old pond was originally stocked with Coppernose BG and CC, but they appear to be long gone. I've managed to catch or trap several hundred GSF in just a few days, but I don't beleive that I've made a dent in their population, and I'm thinking that a more complete solution might be to apply rotenone. I read several posts about similar GSF problems and some of the possible solutions using LMB. but, I'm thinking LMB and some residual GSF would be a problem in a forage pond.

shotgun time.

If you are building a forage pond, then yes, the GSF would cause problems, as would LMB.

What type of trap were you using? It looks efficient... Others on here may find it helpful.

I use homemade contraptions made with pvc and wire screen. They float about an inch off the water surface and some have larger funnels for bigger fish. I use a few floating catfish pellets for bait. They actually work much better than a comercial unit that I ordered on the internet. Photo of one is below.

It appears that you have a removable top on the trap. Can you show a couple of good pics of it?

BTW, I caught some snakes in my traps recently. They were brown water snakes and generally harmless. However, it can be a real character builder getting them out of a 30 gallon barrel sized trap without either of us getting hurt.

The only trap that I have with a top is loaned out, and not available for a pic. But, the top is just a thin piece of plexiglass. The box shaped frame is constructed of 1/2" schedule 40 pvc pipe and held together at the corners with 3-way fittings. The top of the frame is 3/4" for better flotation with the additional weight of the lid (1/2" to 3/4" adapters are used in the 3-ways). 1/2" wire mesh screen was used for the funnels and to cover the frame.

I stand by my boilerplate reply to pictures like this - absolutely disgusting. I couldn't be more revolted right now. That's just too doggone many snakes to be right. I'd have that property on the freaking market yesterday!

Aside, nice looking trap. I guess you could always have some fun tormenting those suckers for awhile before killing them!

Is that a Lawyer that he's using for bait?

Boy, you are squeamish. Those are harmless Diamond Back water snakes and the're not aggressive. I'd never skill kill any living thing unless it was absolutely necessary.

Are those all GSF? I'm on a phone some kinda look like HBG?

Some of the smaller ones look like BG to me. Of course, would need a close up of the individual fish to make sure.

Definitely looks like many of the smaller ones are pure BG. Some of the larger ones do appear to be HBG as well. A couple even look like LES. The one that looks especially like an LES is the one in the lower left near the GSF with the gill flapped flared and the gills showing. The more aqua coloration makes him stick out... Squeeky, could you post a few pics of some of those bigger sunfish, I'd be interested in better quality close ups.

I have no comeback on that. But this does up my post count!

I wouldn't necessarily consider myself squeamish, but perhaps decisive instead. I know what I like and what I don't like. I don't like snakes. I'm not afraid of them, but they are just absolutely disgusting to me. I would much rather kill one (other than a black snake, probably - they don't bug me at all for some reason) than look at one. Sorry, I'm just not that tolerant of some things and snakes are one. Sure, sure, they all have their place, living things deserve their dignity, blah, blah, blah. In my world, though, a snake's place is somewhere not around me!

Todd, you'd love my dad's friend's place in Nelson County, VA... He's got a couple of rocky outcroppings with small caverns in them. In winter, you shine a spot light down in them and you can see snakes by the 100's. Been more than one time the consideration of several shotgun blasts into the cavern to thin the herd has been considered.

I'd lead the charge on that plan! Or a can of gas dumped down in there to warm them up during the cold season!

Don't hold back, Todd.
Tell us how you really feel about snakes.

I wonder how far (or high) Todd would jump if he opened up a gun case and found a snake in it?

That would be worth the price of admission.

Hey, do you think it might cause some of his hair to fall out?

Travis, what kind of snakes are they?

I doubt that you will catch all of unwanted fish. Some of them will stay...They will breed and probably you will never get rid of them.
The only possible way to get rid of them is to get rid of water! Is there any water regulation system in your pond that allows you to let water flow away? If answer is YES then do it. The next rain will fill your pond again and it will be suitable for bluegill.
You can also use pump to achieve the same goal. It's possible with such 1/4 acre pond.
By the way, can you even imagine, what would you do with so much small fish?

If you are not in hurry, these small fish could be a great food for some predator fish species. But that will delay your bluegill plans for some years of course.

Let me get back to you on that one - I'm not sure these message data fields would hold the extent of my thoughts on snakes!

Probably as far (or high) as you would when I came calling after such a nasty little surprise!

Dangit, Dave, don't encourage him! Now I've just lost the nerve to try to borrow his Savage muzzle loader again this coming deer season - who the heck knows what he'd put in that case!

You guys are just sickos!

Todd, I'd make sure it was tucked under the padding so it didn't get out on you. (right away that is.....)

I moved a woodpile last weekend with my 13 yr old grandson. I told him to watch for snakes because I've killed quite a few rattlesnakes right there where the pile was. We didn't find any live ones but did find 5 skins. I think they were copper headed rattle mocassins. You should have seen the kid jump when I let him grab the pc of wood that laying on top of one.

That's one way to control GSF...

Unfortunately,I think this is a bluegill.

It might be a HBG... but I'm still thinking GSF..

The snake, on the other hand, is easy to identify.

That's the infamous reticulated, quad-fanged, spitting, constriction viper. Nasty critters.

My 15 year old son took the picture. He seems to have a knack for this kind of thing. I based my identification on what we stocked rather than any knowledge on my part, and on the knowledge of those that have caught fish from my pond. Really, I have not a clue. Like to hear what others think?

Mostly black racers and eastern hog-noses but the one cavern in particular has a good number of timber rattlers and a few copperheads from what I could see... They all seem to get together quite well while hibernating.

I'd bet my next pay check it's a GSF... So thank the snake! HAHA

I'm leaning towards GSF with my 2nd choice being HBG. Too much green in the body, even allowing for local color variations.

That's a great picture! He's got a talent for it.

A seriously great photo! Any details on what type of camera was used and if it was a DSLR, the settings? I can see wildlife photographer in the future!

I'll see if I can get him to respond when he gets home from school. It is not a fancy camera. He does have an eye. I'll see if he can post the picture that he took of a snake eating a catfish that he took last year (or the year before).

Previous picture was taken Nikon CoolPix L100 - does not know settings (he had tried a bunch of different ones). This one was taken with an older Olympus camera. No DSLR.

It's amazing how big a fish those snakes can eat! Funny to watch them try to swallow a catfish the wrong way and get to the pectoral spines and realize it just isn't going any further... Very neat.

The snake that caught the sunfish caught the tail end. It took it up on the bank and switched to the head end so it could swallow it. It was amazing to see it unhinge its jaws and swallow it down. It won't need a meal for awhile.

That snake looks like the one I posted here. What is it?

I think it is a northern water snake, but then again I thought the the fish being eaten in the other picture that I posted was a bluegill.

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/nersip.htm

I agree, it looks like a northern water snake to me as well.

2 years ago I walked upon a small-ish king snake trying to swallow a 2X larger water snake. The water snake had been dead so long it began to bloat, and the king was in distress. I snipped the water snake off, and the king eventually finished swallowing it and crawled away.

I had so many large water snakes I was considering removing some of them, but didn't have to. Something made them leave, I assume the kings. Now I rarely even see a snake, usually a small garter. I guess nature works to restore balance if you're patient.

I have never seen a king snake, but the hawks get some.

You're too kind!