Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations What If ?

What if a 3 acre pond was LMB overpopulated to the point that there was almost NO YOY in either the LMB, CNBG, or BTP populations at the end of the summer in year 2022. Large CNBG are in abundance with a few giant tilapia.

In year 2023 80% of the LMB are removed by the end of the summer with RWs in the 75% range. The forage populations remain low. Forage populations regularly receive pellet food. Food thrown along shore specifically for the minnows.

Year 2024 there are no YOY LMB seen or caught. All LMB caught are still in the RW 75% range, never has a LMB been caught with anything in its stomach. LMB are very difficult to catch. Perhaps some improvement in the amount of forage fish, small forage fish are still in short supply. Pond structure for fingerlings & fry has been improved.

If the LMB are kept in check, how many more years before the forage fish are in abundance without a stocking program? With minimal stocking ? "It Depends!" Right?

All SWAGs are accepted.

For the first paragraph to hold close to true, there would also have to be little to no cover in the pond for YOY of any breed.

If you have large CNBG in abundance, where are all of their subsequent offspring going? Even very hungry bass should have a hard time eliminating all of the BG YOY.

Do you have a cove on that lake where you could easily deploy a blocking net? I only ask because it is very expensive to stock a lot of large BG. However, if you could stock a lot of smaller BG in a protected area at the earliest "safe" date in the spring, and pellet feed them all year, then you could send a lot of forage weight to your bass in the late fall. At that time, the bass should not be able to eat all of them, and many should make it through the winter and be broodstock the next spring.

I also like your improvements on pond structure for fry and fingerlings. I think that will pay dividends immediately, but it make take a while until the changes are obvious in your pond catch results. Do you also have structure for adult BG?

If it was my pond, I would anchor a bunch of cedars around the pond, including some significant brush piles. Of course, I have to clear some cedars on our property every year. What is your Florida equivalent of cedar trees?

If you have no equivalent, can you use Christmas trees? In my area, we have Christmas tree recycling centers for drop-offs. I suspect if you ask, they would let you take as many trees as you wanted for your pond.

BINGO! You are correct. For about 25 years there was no pond management except for control of weeds.. My goal for 2025: establish American pondweed, Eel grass, & pickerel weed. Also add brush where possible & try Christmas trees. Spadderdock was zero in 2021, now it lines perhaps 20% of the shore.

I suspect big CNBG eating all the little CNBG, anything to big for a CNBG the LMB quickly consumed. There is no cove to isolate it is a rectangular soup bowl.

I was expecting a more noticeable increase in the forage populations during this summer.

My concern is that I have made a change in the skinny LMB population, yet in the past year I have seen less than I expected signs of change in the forage fish population. I have seen signs of a small BG or TP here or there, more fish feeding, more food consumed & a bit quicker but nothing that could not be explained in ways other than a population increase. I was expecting a visible logarithmic increase in the forage populations.

I had not played with my Deeper Smart Castable Sonar since late spring. Charged it up & took it to the pond & got some answers to my questions. I did see an increase in the number of fish in the groups, the number of small fish in the groups had increased & groups of fish were in areas that were barren last January. Happy to be able to confirm there is progress. Perhaps with more structure & another 2 years, the pond will be well on its way to a better balance.

The Deeper Sonar is a nice toy but must be fine tuned for each body of water.

Do you think the potential increase in LMB sizes will be the major indicator of positive progress?

If the LMB were massively overpopulated, and eating up the forage at a rate above the reproduction rate, then I would expect you would NOT see great results in Year 1.

I like that you are seeing a little bit of confirmation of increased forage on your underwater camera. I hope you have now had enough forage brood stock survive throughout the year, that you will see the results over the Year 2 reproductive cycle as they start to produce more offspring than your reduced LMB population can eat.

(However, you may have some "size class" deficits in your forage populations during Year 2.)

Keep sampling your LMB and examining you forage populations and I suspect you will soon have a pond that is "mostly" in a healthy balance. Good luck!