Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations 1/4 acre pond observations and questions

It's normal for females to be smaller than males.

I think the focus on panfish is wise in this small BOW. In answer to your question about harvesting large LMB before or after spawn, I think I would definitely do it after hoping a good crop of LMB YOY will result. It's not difficult to catch and remove LMB when they are crowded but BG are a PITA when they get crowded. Crowded for LMB is 200 fish/acre. Crowded for BG can be in the thousands of fish/acre of > 3" BG. LMB are manageable by fishing and where BG either need sufficient LMB or methods like seining or trapping. It's a tough row to hoe trying to manage over-abundant BG by fishing alone when LMB are not of sufficient number in the right sizes.

You've seen bigger BG. That's why you are here authoring this thread. The good news is that your still have some harvestable size BG with good RW. Don't harvest any more big males. For now, spare all males > 6" and catch and keep everthing < than 6". Bump up your LMB numbers and remove those LMB > 14". The pond has momentum towards over-population of BG. So expect little improvement for the next year and a half while you thin the <6 in BG. But if you persist it will turn around. When you are able to grow 9" males, concentrate your harvest in the 6" to 8" range and you will grow some dandy BG.