Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Sampling Method Alternative

The otters are probably eating most of your fish.

My pond had low numbers of LMB & BG and a number of midsize crappie when I bought the farm.

I spotted an otter last winter and between shooting and trapping manged to remove 7 otters total (only actually saw two in pond). Would trap them every couple weeks. I suspect the circuit of otters was cleaning out a lot of the fish each winter and the crappie managed to survive them them by being prolific breeders (and eating the fry of the LMB & BG).