I sure could use some help.
I manage a 3 acre pond in NW Pennsylvania. The pond is 3 years old, and has an average depth of 10 to 12 feet. It is aerated year round and the fish are feed spring through fall with pellets and a generous amount of fatheads and shiners are stocked 3 times a year.
The pond was stocked in June of 2014. Everything has been doing beautifully ever since. Ive kept a good record of the growth and development of the fish and have been very surprised by the results.
Last summer the striped bass were like piranhas when the feeder would go off and by the end of the summer they had doubled in size from their original size.
Now, however, we cannot find a single one in the entire pond. They aren't feeding on the pellets and haven't hit any lures or bait.
All other species (CC,Trout, YP, SMB, Crappies, white sucker and unfortunately bullheads) have all been caught and are doing just as well as previously.
The only clue that something catastrophic may have happened to the HSB is that the neighbor found seven dead HSB in the spring when the ice went off. Nothing else was found.
Please, can anyone give me some insight as to what may have happened here? e are very disappointed to have lost them.
Thanks.
