MANAGING SPORT FISH POPULATIONS

IN FARM PONDS

Forrest Wynne, Aquaculture Extension Specialist, Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Program, GravesCounty Cooperative Extension Service Office, 251 Housman Street, Mayfield, KY 42066-1165. Tel: (270)247-2334 FAX: (270)247-5193

fwynne@uky.edu

The quality of sport fishing in a pond should be evaluated by fishing the pond intensively. Farm ponds which contain desirable fish populations should produce bluegill greater than 6 inches long and largemouth bass which have an average weight of 1‑2 lbs. Ponds which produce many large bluegill (1/3 lb average), and largemouth bass which average less than 1 lb are probably overcrowded with largemouth bass. If fishing produces many bluegill 3‑5 inches in length and infrequent catches of largemouth bass which weigh more than 2 lbs, the pond is likely to be overcrowded with bluegill. If fishing has been unsuccessful, have other fishermen fish the pond, use different baits or lures, and try fishing at different periods during the day and night.

During the spring and summer when water temperatures have reached 70 degrees F or greater, pond shorelines can be seined to provide information describing the condition of the fish population. A seine made of 1/4 inch bar mesh with a length of 20 feet and a depth of 4 feet should be used at 4 or 5 locations around a pond's shoreline. Ponds should not be sampled unless the fish population is at least 2 years old.

If seining produces many small and nearly transparent young of year bluegill, no young of year largemouth bass, and very few bluegill 3‑5 inches in length; the pond is likely to be overcrowded with largemouth bass. Overcrowding of largemouth bass can be corrected by removing bass. If the pond contains no young of year largemouth bass, no young of year bluegill, and many bluegill 3‑5 inches in length, this may indicate a crowded bluegill population. Stunted bluegill populations may be controlled by shoreline seining or rotenone, or by stocking 15‑20 adult largemouth bass (12 inches in length) per surface acre. Pond renovation may be the only effective method of removing a stunted bluegill population.

If young of year largemouth bass and bluegill are present, and few bluegill 3‑5 inches long are caught by seining, a desirable fish population is likely to be found. Limited numbers of largemouth bass should be taken from farm ponds since bass control bluegill populations through predation.

Farm ponds should only contain largemouth bass, bluegill, red ear sunfish (shellcrackers), and channel catfish. Ponds which contain unbalanced or undesirable fish populations may need to be drained or reclaimed with rotenone and then restocked.