I recently built a 1 acre nursery pond to grown golden shiners (and possibly blue gill) next to my 10 acre trophy LM bass pond. My question is what size of GS fish should I move to my bass lake? I’m trying to feed my bass but also get a population established in my 10 acre pond? Should I regularly move all the fry and small golden shiners to the big lake while leaving some of the largest to reproduce, or should I move the largest in hopes they survive and leave the smallest in the nursery until they’re bigger to avoid being eaten by the large population of 8” & under LMB?
I’m needing to buy a seine and trying to decide on what opening diameter of netting to buy. I’ll attach a guide the seine company provided for reference and size options.
I also have a feeder set up on the nursery pond. Is there a certain (Cargill) Triton feed that would be best to get the shiners to grown the fastest in my nursery? I’m in central Missouri and also have several feeders set up on my other fishing lakes. I’ve always used optimal blue gill, so not sure on which Triton feed to use for my blue gill in my other ponds yet.
I'd say 24" taller than the deepest area is a minimum height. I wouldn't be afraid to go 130% max depth for the height.
What size mesh? Well, I'd go as small as you can go. Bigger mesh will act as a gill net on the smaller fish, and you will lose a lot to handling stress.........8" and under LMB can eat a 4", maybe a 5" shiner........... Golden Shiners will reproduce at 3 1/2" to 4" in length. Do you have the proper reproduction habitat for them?
I'm not sure if I have the proper reproduction habitat or not, although I'm willing to add what ever habitat it needs. I can drain the pond at anytime with the syphon system I installed. I spread some gravel last year, but thinking about adding a liner with pea gravel and there will be vegetation that grows each season. What is the best habitat for GS reproduction?
I recently built a 1 acre nursery pond to grown golden shiners (and possibly blue gill) next to my 10 acre trophy LM bass pond. My question is what size of GS fish should I move to my bass lake? I’m trying to feed my bass but also get a population established in my 10 acre pond? Should I regularly move all the fry and small golden shiners to the big lake while leaving some of the largest to reproduce, or should I move the largest in hopes they survive and leave the smallest in the nursery until they’re bigger to avoid being eaten by the large population of 8” & under LMB?
I’m needing to buy a seine and trying to decide on what opening diameter of netting to buy. I’ll attach a guide the seine company provided for reference and size options.
I also have a feeder set up on the nursery pond. Is there a certain (Cargill) Triton feed that would be best to get the shiners to grown the fastest in my nursery? I’m in central Missouri and also have several feeders set up on my other fishing lakes. I’ve always used optimal blue gill, so not sure on which Triton feed to use for my blue gill in my other ponds yet.
Thanks!!! 🙏
If you're going with Triton, then Aquaexcel Starter 2.2mm would probably be best. The downside is that a feeder would almost be unusable because the pellets would flow out in huge amounts. I've made tin plates that slow things down, but choking 2.2 mm pellets is like choking water. I spread mine with feed scoops.
I'm not sure about habitat, maybe esshup will know. I would think coontail would bee an option, but what a mess it can turn into.
Best spawning habitat for GSH is spawning mats placed along the shoreline. Filamentous algae along the shoreline is also good spawning substrate. There are reports of using shaggy carpet as spawn mats.
If you are having difficulty maintaining ample forage fish in the LMB pond, IMO you have not enough dense habitat and too many LMB as wolves in the bass pond. Add lots of shallow dense habitat and remove lots of LMB less than 12"-14"; maybe every one with less than 95% RW(relative weight).
Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/27/2509:43 AM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
I'm not sure if I have the proper reproduction habitat or not, although I'm willing to add what ever habitat it needs. I can drain the pond at anytime with the syphon system I installed. I spread some gravel last year, but thinking about adding a liner with pea gravel and there will be vegetation that grows each season. What is the best habitat for GS reproduction?