We experience this fishery type in sandpits near rivers in NE which have historically flooded. HSB and BC are our most effective tools to help manage Gshd. BC will actively pursue Gshd schools and their gape allows them to target adults. HSB will also hammer schools but due to more limited gape will focus on smaller fish. I would recommend 10-15/ac on HSB annual ladder stocking and 5/ac for BC. TM are ambush predators I believe they’d serve as a less effective management tool and would also inhabit similar habitat as your BG and LMB - both species you’d likely prefer not to be diminished through predation.

I agree that gill netting as many adult invasive species is a great strategy - no predator present is going to take down a 15# Buffalo, carp, or gar. If you employ periodic gill netting in addition to supplemental stocking of specific predators I think you can experience a level of management and add a couple fun species for angling. It’s essential to record WR of both species in order to determine stocking strategy in the future. IE: if all HSB exhibit WR 110+ you could elect to bump your annual stocking qty - inverse is likewise applicable of course.

I would also spend some time focusing on adding some structure to the lake to enable your BG and LMB populations to benefit. Groups of 4-5 cedars weighted with a cinder block in 3-6’ is cheap and easy. Ping me if you want to talk sometime as I have experience with these sandpit HOAs all over Nebraska along Platte, Elkhorn and Missouri River.

EDIT: I researched TM a bit more and found some studies stating Gshd are a preferred, soft rayed forage item for TM, so TM recommendation seems to be accurate. I still wonder if TM will be midlake chasing schools of Gshd, but one should defer to the scientific study not my gut instinct. Studies also stated TM prefer forage 30-35% their body length. Once TM enter the 30 - 40" range they would be capable of handling Gshd up to 10-14" but this still may leave largest adult Gshd invulnerable to TM predation. That's where the BC seem to play an important role preying upon larger adults and Carp, Buffalo and Gar. 3/AC seems a prudent stocking strategy. Colorado is using TM to control White Sucker populations in their reservoirs and have reported reducing WS biomass by 50% and TM are growing fast...obviously.

My recommendation would be HSB to focus on age 0, TM to focus on age 1+, and BC to focus on larger adults. Scott and Eric's gill net strategy should also be employed to periodically remove significant biomass of the adult fish largely invulnerable to predation. This combo strategy seems to offer the highest chance of success to manage the invasive species population. If you choose to harvest those collected fish via nets I know guys who could use frozen fillets to feed their apex predators...myself included. Feel free to reach out anytime!

Last edited by teehjaeh57; 12/08/21 03:51 PM. Reason: TM research

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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