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Texas Farm Ponds:
Stocking, Assessment, and Management Recommendations
Special Publication No. 1Texas Chapter
American Fisheries Society
Revised September l996
This publication was prepared by members of the Texas Chapter of
the American Fisheries Society. It rep-resents a consensus on
guidelines for stocking and managing Texas farm ponds and has been
endorsedby the Texas Aquaculture Association.
Texas Agricultural Extension Service • Zerle L. Carpenter,
Director • The Texas A&M University System • College Station,
Texas
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Most farm ponds and small impoundments inTexas are not managed
at their highest potentialfor fish production.This is especially
unfortunate,since an estimated 20 percent of fishing trips inTexas
are to these waters. This publication pre-sents a concise set of
guidelines for stocking andmanaging fish in new, renovated, or old
ponds.
This publication was prepared by the TexasChapter of the
American Fisheries Society to pro-vide information to the pond
owner who has littleor no knowledge of fishery management.
Specificinformation on assessment techniques, interpret-ing
assessment data, and corrective managementare included to help the
pond owner developlong-range management plans.
This information is intended primarily forponds less than 5
acres in surface area, but it maybe useful for larger impoundments
as well. How-ever, you should discuss the management of theselarger
bodies of water and/or unusual manage-ment problems with a
qualified fisheries biologist.Stocking and management advice is
availablefrom various state and federal agencies, universi-ties,
private consultants, and fish farmers.
Management Considerations
And ObjectivesBefore you can develop a management plan for
your pond, you must first decide on objectivesthat are both
desirable and attainable. Theseobjectives will be influenced by
your preferencesfor certain species and sizes of fish, the
pond’sbasic productivity, and your interest in and com-mitment to
increasing that productivity.
Pond CharacteristicsPond Size. The size of your pond is the
major
factor that will determine what fish you need tostock, the
degree of management needed to main-tain these fish, and how many
fish you can har-vest each year. Most farm ponds in Texas are
builtfor livestock watering and are less than 1 acre insurface
area. Although owners of small ponds tra-ditionally want “bass in
their tanks,” these smallponds are really not suited for bass
populations.Bass harvest in small ponds is especially
difficultbecause over-fishing may allow overpopulation offorage
species, while under-fishing may lead to aforage deficiency that
reduces bass growth. Insmall ponds, it is usually better to stock
catfish
alone, since they provide more fishing recreationand food for
the table and they can be fed com-mercially prepared feed. Ponds
larger than 1 sur-face acre are more suitable for more than
onespecies. If these larger ponds are stocked, man-aged, and
harvested properly, you can expectmany years of satisfactory
fishing for all sportspecies. Or, if you prefer, they can also be
man-aged for catfish only.
Many pond owners have difficulty estimatingthe surface area of
their ponds. It is easy to over-estimate, and this often leads to
overstocking. Ifyour pond fluctuates considerably in surface
area,stock it based on the average annual low-watersurface area.
Remember that 1 surface acre con-tains 43,560 square feet. Formulas
for calculatingthe surface area in acres of the most commonpond
shapes (square or rectangular, triangular,and round) are provided
below to assist you indetermining the size of your pond. All
dimensionsshould be measured in feet.
Muddy Water. Some Texas ponds tend to staymuddy. This muddiness
is caused by suspendedclay particles in the water; don’t confuse it
withthe turbidity resulting from a plankton bloom.Muddy waters
hinder the growth of organisms thefish eat and may also affect the
reproduction andgrowth of the fish themselves. Suspended soil
par-ticles in pond water can result from watershederosion, wave
action, large populations of bull-heads or carp, or cattle wading
into the water andstirring the mud. Correcting the problem
usuallycauses the material to settle to the bottom of thepond. If,
however, the suspended material is col-loidal clay particles, it
will not settle out, and youmust add organic material or chemicals
to thewater to correct the situation. In muddy water,bass do not
usually do well, and you should stockonly catfish. Sources of more
information aboutclearing muddy ponds are listed in the
Referencessection.
3
width
len
gth
len
gth
width
shoreline length
length x width43,560
1/2 (width at dam x length43,560
(shoreline length)2
547,390
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Total Alkalinity. Ponds in different areas of thestate have
different water chemistry, caused byfactors like soil type, water
sources, and water-shed. The water chemistry in a pond affects
theprimary productivity, which in turn determinesthe number of fish
to stock. One characteristicthat controls the ability of a pond to
produce foodfor fish is alkalinity. Alkalinity is the measure
ofbuffering capacity. If you plan to fertilize, youshould have the
alkalinity checked. Total alkalini-ty should be at least 20 parts
per million (ppm) ifyour fertilization program is to be effective.
If thealkalinity is less than 20 ppm and you want tofertilize,
agricultural limestone can be added toincrease alkalinity. Your
county Extension agent,local Natural Resources Conservation
Serviceoffice, Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologist,or
information in the References can help youestimate the alkalinity
in your pond and provideguidance for adding lime.
Water Fluctuation. Ponds in different parts ofthe state
experience different annual rainfall andevaporation rates. While
East Texas farm pondsare usually full most of the year, South and
WestTexas ponds may experience drastic draw-downsduring the summer
months. These draw-downsconcentrate all the fish in small areas and
canreduce populations through either predation oroxygen depletion.
You can minimize the impactof such draw-downs by providing deep
water (12to 16 feet) in part of the pond. If your pond issubject to
drastic draw-downs, stock it based onits size during the
draw-down.
Fertilization. Commercial inorganic fertilizercan greatly
increase fish production in ponds.Fertilization will not only
increase the basic pro-ductivity of a body of water but, when
properlymanaged, it will control aquatic vegetation inwater deeper
than 2 feet. Too much fertilizer can,however, lead to oxygen
depletion in the pond.Do not fertilize muddy ponds, ponds that have
acontinuous water flow, or ponds that are stockedwith catfish only
and fed more than three times aweek. Because of the increased
production inproperly fertilized ponds, higher stocking ratesare
recommended for them.
Any type of water-soluble granular or liquidfertilizer may be
used. Use about 1 to 2 pounds ofnitrogen (N) and 8 pounds of
phosphorous (P205)per acre per application. Nitrogen may not
beneeded for some older ponds. Apply granular fer-tilizer on a
platform or plastic bag in shallow
water. Dilute liquid fertilizer about 10 to 1 withwater and
apply it on the pond surface. Beginpond fertilization in the spring
when the daysbecome consistently warm. Check the responsewith an
8-inch diameter disk made of metal orplastic and painted black and
white (this is calleda “secchi disk”). Make fertilizer applications
at 1-to 2-week intervals until the disk is no longer visi-ble 24
inches below the water surface (this indi-cates a secchi disk value
of 24). Wait until thedisk is visible deeper than 24 inches before
mak-ing additional treatments. Continue fertilizinguntil late
September.
Do not fertilize muddy ponds, ponds infestedwith aquatic weeds,
or ponds that are flushedwith large volumes of water until these
problemsare corrected. Several available publications (list-ed in
the References section) give detailedinstructions for pond
fertilization; consult thembefore beginning a fertilization program
for yourpond.
Fish SpeciesChannel and Blue Catfish. These species do
well in most pond environments and can bestocked alone in ponds
of any size or as a supple-ment to bass and forage populations in
pondslarger than 1 acre. Channel catfish are more avail-able for
stocking, although some pond ownersprefer blue catfish or a
combination of the twospecies.
Largemouth Bass. This species is the mostsought-after sport fish
in Texas and, in almost allmulti-species pond environments, it is
the prima-ry predator. The northern largemouth bass sub-species is
native to Texas and has been widelystocked since the turn of the
century. Althoughthe Florida subspecies grows to a larger size, it
ismore sensitive to very cold temperatures andmore difficult to
catch than the native (northernsubspecies) bass. Because of its
sensitivity to cold,Florida largemouth should not be stocked
alonein ponds in the Texas Panhandle.
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The native bass and Florida bass are oftencrossed to produce an
intergrade offspring, com-monly referred to as the F1 “hybrid.” The
F1 mayprovide some of the advantages of both species.Florida
largemouth will interbreed with natives,so if both subspecies are
stocked in the samebody of water, a mixture of Floridas,
natives,hybrids, and back-crosses of various mixes willeventually
occur.
Bluegill. Many pond owners are reluctant tostock ponds with
bluegill because of the fish’sreputation for overpopulation. The
bluegill is,however, a fine sport fish and the only fishspecies
which can produce the large numbers ofsmall fish needed to provide
food for bass.Without them, a quality bass population willprobably
not develop. Overpopulation of bluegillsmost commonly occurs
because of excessiveescape cover (aquatic vegetation) or
over-harvest-ing of the bass in the first season of fishing—bothof
which reduce predation on the young bluegills(See Proper Harvest
Section). Coppernose bluegillis a unique strain that reaches larger
sizes inTexas ponds than other varieties. If you have astrong
interest in bluegill fishing, consider stock-ing this species.
Redear Sunfish. Redear sunfish can be stockedwith bluegill in
Texas ponds as supplemental for-age. This species is also a fine
sport fish and canincrease angling opportunities. Because they
eatsnails, they may also reduce fish parasites withina pond.
Hybrid Striped Bass. Hybrid striped bass areanother sport fish
that can be stocked in any sizepond to provide additional sport
fishing. They willreadily accept artificial feeds, but they will
notreproduce in ponds. Hybrids can be stockedalone, with fathead
minnows or sunfish, or inbass-bluegill ponds. Consult a biologist
if you planto stock these fish.
Fathead Minnows. The fathead minnow is arelatively slow swimmer
(very vulnerable to pre-dation), and therefore offers no benefit
whenstocked in ponds containing established bass pop-ulations.
However, they are very useful whenstocked with catfish that are not
being fed regu-larly or in new bass-bluegill ponds to
increasefirst-year growth of the bass and bluegill.
Threadfin Shad. This species is an excellentsupplemental forage
species for bass, but, like thefathead, it generally cannot
withstand bass preda-tion for an extended period of time in a
smallpond. They are also sensitive to cold temperaturesand perform
best in South Texas, but they cansurvive mild winters in North,
East, and CentralTexas. A fertilization program will greatly
increasethe success of threadfin introductions by reducingwater
clarity and increasing productivity.
Grass Carp (White Amur). This species, whenstocked in proper
numbers, can provide long-term, cost-effective control of submerged
aquaticvegetation in ponds. However, only specially pro-duced
sterile (triploid) grass carp are legal in Texasponds, and a
special permit is required. Contactthe Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department fordetails.
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Undesirable Fish. Many other species of fishhave been stocked in
Texas ponds, but none havebeen as consistently successful as
largemouthbass, channel catfish, bluegills, redear sunfish,
fat-head minnows, or combinations of these fish.While other species
may do well in streams, lakes,or reservoirs, they often cause
problems in pondsor are not suited for pond environments. Do
notstock the species listed below or any species notlisted without
first consulting a fisheries biologist.
Crappie are very undesirable for stocking inponds. They compete
with bass for food, eatsmall bass, and tend to overpopulate and
becomestunted.
Hybrid sunfish are often touted as a “super-fish.” However, the
crosses used to produce thesehybrids are not good forage fish and
should notbe stocked with bass. Hybrid sunfish perform bestwhen
stocked alone or with channel catfish andfed regularly with a
commercial catfish ration.Some reproduction can be expected, but
the off-spring will not be as desirable as the originalhybrid.
Eventually, pond renovation and restock-ing become necessary
because of overpopulationand stunting.
Golden shiners are occasionally stocked in oldponds to increase
forage for bass. They should notbe stocked in new ponds.
Carp, bullheads, and green sunfish often areinadvertently
stocked or enter the pond from theupper watershed, in-flowing
streams, or down-stream during spillway flow. Carp and bullheadsare
bottom feeders that can stir up the pond andcause muddy water.
Bullheads and green sunfish
are notorious for overpopulating, particularly ifbass
populations are reduced.
Flathead (opelousas or yellow) catfish areoften stocked in ponds
by the pond owner orwell-meaning anglers, but this is a big
mistake.This predator consumes large numbers of allspecies of fish.
An unbalanced pond can seldombe corrected by adding this fish.
Planning For StockingSmall Ponds. Impoundments and
reservoirs
less than 1 surface acre in size are considered“small ponds” for
the purposes of this publica-tion. Most ponds in Texas are less
than 1 acre insize, and many are less than 1/2 acre in surfacearea.
These waters are almost always used forlivestock, and fish
management is usually notconsidered when the pond is built. But,
after thepond is full of water, the owner often becomesinterested
in stocking fish.
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Before stocking your small pond, remove anyexisting fish. New
ponds should present no prob-lems. Older ponds may have many
different com-binations of fish that will interfere with
produc-tion. Avoid management hassles—clean out thepond. Consult
the References for information onusing rotenone to renovate ponds.
Catfish are rec-ommended for stocking in small ponds, sincethey
provide the most fishing recreation and foodfor the table. Because
catfish are more widely dis-tributed and transportation costs of
fish can beprohibitive, most small pond owners prefer tostock
catfish, either channels or blues. Catfishmay be stocked anytime;
however, fish-eatingbirds can take a heavy toll from late
Octoberthrough April.
If you are feeding the catfish, feed them dailyduring the
growing season (April through Novem-ber), giving them the amount of
feed they will eatin 10 to 15 minutes, but not more than 30
poundsper acre per day. Feed them about once a weekduring the other
months. A daily feeding programwith a good-quality commercial feed
can result in1 pound of fish gain for every 2 pounds of feedand
will grow catfish to a catchable size in theshortest period of
time. If daily visits to the pondare not practical, you can use an
automatic feed-er. Commercial catfish feed is available from
feedand seed stores. Choose a good commercial float-ing or sinking
pellet with at least 30-percent pro-tein. Floating feeds may be
more expensive, butthey allow you to watch the fish while they
feed,which reduces waste and provides entertainment.
Do not encourage catfish reproduction in smallponds by adding
spawning devices or structures.Spawning will result in stunted
fish. The totalweight of the catfish should never be allowed
toexceed the pond’s carrying capacity (a maximumof 1,000 pounds per
surface acre during the warmmonths). If your goal is to produce
larger catfish,decrease the stocking rates accordingly. The
prob-ability of losing fish because of an oxygen deple-tion
increases dramatically when the pond’s car-rying capacity is
exceeded.
Large Ponds. For this discussion, ponds largerthan 1 acre are
considered “large ponds.” Manylarge ponds are stocked with
largemouth bass,and proper management of bass is the key togood
fishing. Species stocked primarily to provideforage for bass are
bluegill, redear sunfish, forageminnows, and possibly threadfin
shad. A well-
managed, fertilized farm pond should support300 to 500 total
pounds of fish per surface acre.
Channel catfish can be stocked to provide addi-tional sport and
will not interfere with the criticalbalance between bass and
forage. Expect most orall of the reproduction to be removed by the
bass,particularly in clear ponds. Muddy ponds andother large ponds,
if desired, may be managed forcatfish and fathead minnows alone, as
recom-mended for small ponds.
Successful multi-species management in largeponds requires
stocking combinations of speciesto achieve a balance between
predators (large-mouth bass) and their principal forage
species(bluegill). A balanced pond will have:
■ Annual reproduction by largemouth bass andbluegills.
■ Bluegills of many different sizes to providefood for all sizes
of largemouth bass.
■ Sufficient growth of both species for satisfac-tory sustained
catches by the angler.
Maintaining balanced bass and forage popula-tions is important
for good fishing. Proper harvestof intermediate-sized bass and
proper stockingschedules are critical for maintaining this
balance.Proper bass harvest is discussed in more depthelsewhere in
this publication.
The stocking schedule depends mainly uponthe size of the bass
stocked. When you plan tostock fingerling (1- to 3-inch) bass,
stock finger-ling (1- to 3-inch) bluegills and redear sunfish,
for-age minnows, and catfish larger than 4 inches inthe late fall,
followed by the bass fingerlings thenext spring. This schedule
ensures that:
■ The forage species and catfish are largeenough when the bass
are stocked that thebass will not deplete the original stocking
ofthe forage fish and catfish.
■ The forage species will have had an opportu-nity to spawn,
creating a food supply fornewly stocked bass.
If adult (longer than 3 inches) bluegills andredear sunfish are
used, you may stock themeither simultaneously with the fingerling
bass orin the late fall followed by the fingerling bass thenext
spring.
Large bass and bluegill are sometimes used tostock new ponds,
but this practice is not recom-
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mended because it makes the achieving a properbalance less
certain.
Stocking GuideRecommended numbers of fingerling fish to be
stocked in small or large ponds are shown inTable 1.
Proper HarvestBass. Improper harvest of largemouth bass
ruins future fishing in Texas ponds more oftenthan any other
cause. Pond owners and otheranglers often overharvest bass in the
first seasonof fishing, allowing bluegills to overpopulate. Nobass
should be removed for the first 2 years afterstocking.
You can reduce the chances of overharvestingthe bass by making
your pond off-limits to every-one. But this is not recommended,
because under-fishing can lead to about as many problems
asover-fishing. In established bass populations, it isa good idea
to remove surplus bass less than 12inches long. Although you
control access to yourpond, don’t deny entrance to a responsible
anglerwilling to follow a few simple rules
regardingcatch-and-release of certain sizes of fish.Encourage all
anglers to record their catch byspecies and size (see the Appendix
for more infor-mation on using these records). This record-keep-ing
system provides you with an estimate of thesize composition and
relative abundance of gamespecies over time.
The growth rate for largemouth bass is affectedby several
factors, including genetics, water quali-ty, habitat, and forage
availability. Average growthrates for bass in Texas are:
Age I 8 inches
Age II 12 inches
Age III 15 inches
Age IV 17 inches
Age V 18 inches
The most sensible way to prevent bass overhar-vest is to
establish a minimum length limit of 15inches for the first 3 years
after stocking. Ifanglers abide by the restriction and release
allbass smaller than 15 inches, the pond shouldbegin producing good
fish of all species. The bassthat were originally stocked will have
to supportthe majority of the catch for 3 years, so they haveto be
used wisely.
After 3 years, you need to make a decisionabout the kind of
bass-fishing you want to pro-mote for your pond. Bass will have
reproducedtwo or three times during this 3-year period, andthe pond
may have large numbers of young bass.If the young bass are
under-harvested, they willhave to compete for the available food
and theirgrowth rates will be poor. The result will be a
basspopulation consisting mainly of fish less than 12inches long.
All these small bass will reduce thenumbers of small bluegill, and
the pond will havea surplus of 7- to 8-inch bluegills.
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Table 1. Recommended Numbers of Fingerlings to Stock for Various
Management Options in Texas Farm Ponds.Pond Size Stocking Option
Fish Species Number per Surface Acre to Stock
Un-Fed Fed1
Fertilized Unfertilized
Any Size Catfish Only Channel Catfish Up to 300 + 3 pounds Up to
150 +3 pounds Up to or Blue Catfish fathead minnows fathead minnows
10003
More Than Bass/Bluegill Largemouth Bass 100 50One Acre Bluegill
1,000 500
or Channel Catfish2 100 50
Bass/Bluegill/ Largemouth Bass 100 50Redear Bluegill 750 375
and and andRedear Sunfish 250 125Channel Catfish2 100 50
1Do not fertilize catfish ponds where catfish are being fed.
2May be stocked to increase fishing opportunities. 3Above 700 fish,
harvest is mandatory at 2 to 3 pounds.
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If you are interested in catching bass largerthan 12 inches
long, 8- to 12-inch bass must beharvested. Harvest about 25 8- to
12-inch bass(weighing a total of 10 to 15 pounds) per acreeach year
after the third year from stocking.Removing these small bass
reduces competitionand allows some fish to grow to larger sizes.
Thefollowing chart shows average weights for bass ofvarious
lengths. These statistics are useful for esti-mating the total
poundage removed per surfaceacre per year.
Bass Length (inches) Average Weight (pounds)8 0.259 0.35
10 0.5011 0.7012 0.9013 1.1014 1.5015 1.8016 2.2517 2.7018
3.3019 3.9020 4.5021 5.40
To keep the bluegill in good condition, incorpo-rate a “slot
limit” for releasing 12- to 15-inch bassfrom the third year on.
Releasing bass of this sizewill also ensure that some bass will
grow to morethan 15 inches. Keep the harvest of bass longerthan 15
inches to a minimum so that some larger,quality bass will
survive.
If bass have not been harvested properly, youmay need to make
adjustments to the fish com-munity. It is likely that the bass have
been over-harvested if anglers are catching mainly 3- to 5-inch
bluegills and few or no bass. This problemcan be corrected by
stocking 40 8- to 12-inch bassper acre. Until small bass become
abundant, makesure that all bass caught are released. Then,
basssmaller than 12 inches and larger than 15 inchescan again be
harvested.
If many small bass and only a few largebluegills are caught, the
bass have been underhar-vested. In this case, stock 30 bluegills,
at least 5inches long, per acre. Harvest about 25 8- to 12-inch
bass per acre each year thereafter. Again,bass 12 inches long and
larger should be released.
If you decide to stock a new pond with limitednumbers of
advanced bass and bluegills ratherthan fingerling fish, the few
bass must be
returned to the pond and carefully protected. Youcannot afford
to lose the original fish, as they arepresent in limited
numbers.
Catfish. You may begin harvesting catfishwhenever the fish reach
an edible size. Check cat-fish of catchable size for body
condition.Numerous “skinny” catfish could be caused byovercrowding
(corrected by increased harvest)and/or inadequate food supply
(corrected byincreased feeding frequency).
Catch records are important for determiningwhen supplemental
stocking is needed. In catfish-only ponds, at least half of the
original fish shouldbe caught before restocking. The total weight
ofcatfish in these ponds should not exceed 1,000pounds per surface
acre during the warm monthsto decrease the risk of fish losses from
oxygendepletion. In ponds where catfish were stocked incombination
with largemouth bass and forage,occasional restocking may be needed
to maintainthe catfish populations over time. In these
ponds,supplementally stock catfish at least 10 inches inlength at
the rate of 25 to 50 per surface acre at 2-to 4-year intervals.
However, the total weight ofcatfish in “combination” ponds should
not exceed250 pounds per surface acre to reduce
potentialcompetition for food between species.
Assessment and Corrective Actions
in Small ImpoundmentsThe size of the pond and the clarity of
the
water are critical factors to consider in assessingthe status of
the fish in your pond. The specificeffects are discussed in the
first section of thispublication.
Identifying Fish SpeciesIdentifying major sport, forage, and
rough fish
species is essential for interpreting assessmentinformation.
While it is neither practical toinclude every species and
subspecies found inTexas in this publication nor necessary for you
toknow them, being able to identify the speciesshown here will
enhance your managementefforts.
Assessment Techniques for Analyzing Fish PopulationsPoor-quality
fishing in most farm ponds is
caused by unbalanced and/or undesirable fishpopulations. To
determine the status of a fish pop-ulation, you must take samples
to assess the
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species composition and size distribution in yourpond. You can
use one of several methods to sam-ple fish populations, including
partial rotenonetreatments, electro-shockers, gill nets,
traps,shoreline seining, and angler catch records.Although the
first four techniques can provideexcellent information, they are
not practical formost pond owners. So, most pond owners rely
onshoreline seining and angler catch records formaking management
decisions.
Figure ?. Quadrant seine haul technique.
Shoreline Seining. Shoreline seining is a goodtechnique for
assessing the status of many fishpopulations. Seine from June
through September.A 15-x-4-foot minnow seine with 1/4-inch mesh
isgood for most ponds. Seining provides informa-tion on the
presence and reproductive success oflargemouth bass and bluegill.
Excessive aquaticvegetation and brush will make seining
difficult.Make a minimum of three quadrant hauls (morein larger
lakes) in different areas to collect a rep-resentative fish sample
from shoreline habitat (seediagram). Record the numbers and sizes
of eachspecies collected for each seine haul.
Angler Catch Records. You can also gatherassessment information
from angler catchrecords, which often provide information onspecies
not easily collected by shoreline seining.It sounds like fun, but
to collect meaningful infor-mation, anglers should fish regularly
with a vari-ety of lures and baits (to catch as many of thespecies
as possible) or fish consistently with simi-lar gear from year to
year (to identify changes inlength and abundance). A sample record
form(see Appendix) has been included to indicate per-tinent
information to be recorded.
Assessment using angler catch records is onlyas good as the
information collected; thereforemake an extra effort to record the
numbers andlengths of all species caught, along with otherpertinent
observations. Definite trends in harvestcomposition will become
apparent over time, pro-viding you with reliable information
necessary formaking management decisions.
A recent research study found a strong correla-tion between
sport fishing and electrofishing datain largemouth bass
populations, when %PSD(Percentage Size Distribution), %RSD-15
(RelativeStock Density), and Wr (relative weight) valueswere
compared.
There was a weaker correlation between sportfishing and
electrofishing data for sunfish popula-tions when values for %PSD,
%RSD-8, and Wrwere compared. The fishing method describedbelow for
largemouth bass was used in that study,and the method described for
sunfish shouldincrease the strength of that correlation.
The objective of these fishing methods is tocatch fish that
represent the proportion of differ-ent sizes present in the
pond.
A: To collect largemouth bass
1. Use artificial lures in three length cate-gories: 1- to
2-inch, 2- to 4-inch, and 4- to8-inch. The combination of these
lurelengths allows you to target all sizes ofbass in the pond.
2. Fish each lure for 30-minute intervals untilyou have caught
20 largemouth bass 8inches or longer.
3. Be sure to fish all three lures an equalamount of time before
you stop fishing.
4. Fish all areas of the pond.
The fish caught in each 30-minute intervalshould be kept alive
until the end of the intervaland then weighed and measured. If you
arereturning them to the pond, clip their fins so youcan be sure
not to count them again in the analy-sis. Be aware that, in muddy
ponds (secchi diskvalues 12 inches or less), this fishing method
willoverestimate the proportion of large fish in thepopulation.
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Shoreline
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B: To collect sunfish
1. Use 1 or 2 segments of a Berkley PowerWiggler or some other
small lure on a #8hook, 1 split shot, and light line.
2. Fish until you collect 100 sunfish. Returnthe fish to the
pond every 30 minutes,after weighing and measuring them.
3. Fish each lure an equal amount of time.
4. Fish all areas of the pond.
With these fishing methods, you can use thedata you collect to
calculate population structureindices for largemouth bass and
sunfish in ponds.However, this method is not a substitute for
hav-ing an experienced biologist sample your pondand make
management recommendations.
Interpreting the ResultsOnce you have collected assessment data
for
your pond,you must interpret it to make manage-ment decisions.
Interpretations are based on thespecies composition and sizes for
bass-bluegillpopulations.
Species Composition. The first factor to exam-ine for all ponds
is the presence or absence ofcertain key species. If undesirable
fish have beenstocked or have entered the pond, you mustassess
their impact as competitors or predators ofthe desirable
species.
Species like gar, bowfin, flathead catfish, orchain pickerel
compete with largemouth bass foravailable forage. Green sunfish,
hybrid sunfish,and warmouth produce small numbers of youngand
compete for forage with small largemouthbass. As a result,
largemouth bass do not performwell in ponds with only those
species. The pres-ence of these species in a pond with an
adequatebluegill population, however, poses little threat tobass
populations.
Crappie also compete with largemouth bass forforage, and their
high reproductive rate may cre-ate stunted, starving crappie
populations in smallimpoundments.
Other undesirables, regardless of the size of thepond, include
black or yellow bullheads, commoncarp, carpsuckers, buffalo, and
Rio Grande cichlid(Rio Grande perch). These species compete
withdesirable species for food and space. Several ofthese species
can create muddy conditions inponds.
In ponds managed for catfish only, any preda-tor capable of
feeding on catfish (such as large-mouth bass, gar, or flathead
catfish) should beavoided. Likewise, species that compete with
thecatfish for food (like green sunfish, golden shin-ers, and black
or yellow bullheads) are undesir-able.
Bass-Bluegill Population Structure. After youhave determined
which species are present, seineto determine the presence or
absence of bass andbluegill reproduction. These two species
providethe basis for predator-prey relationships in Texasfarm
ponds. The seine is the best single methodfor gathering information
on overall pond bal-ance. Use Table 2 to evaluate the data
collected bythe quadrant seine haul technique. The presenceor
absence of bass and bluegill reproductionshould almost always
provide the informationrequired for pond management
decisions.Supplement this information with angler catchrecords
whenever possible to provide informationon the sizes of adult sport
species in the pond.Some pond owners can use accurate records
ofnumbers and sizes of fish caught by anglers formore in-depth
assessment and management. Adetailed description of the methods is
containedin the Appendix.
Catfish Population Structure. Since shorelineseining will not
provide much information on cat-fish, base your assessment of
catfish populationson catch records and the general condition of
thefish caught. Although these techniques applyspecifically to
catfish-only ponds, they can beuseful for catfish assessment in
multi-speciesponds as well. At appropriate stocking rates (seeTable
1), survival of stocked catfish will approach100 percent. Knowing
how many catfish havebeen removed will allow you to calculate
howmany remain in the pond. Under no circum-stances should the
total weight of catfish exceed1,000 pounds per surface acre during
the warmmonths.
Although some pond owners do not regularlyfeed their catfish,
occasional feeding (at intervalsof 1 to 3 weeks) with floating
pellets allows you todetermine whether the population has declined.
Ifthe number of catfish coming to feed dropsmarkedly and remains
low even in a variety ofweather conditions, the population has
probablybeen reduced by disease or vandalism. When youcollect the
catfish for population assessment, alsomake note of their body
condition (plumpness).
11
-
Since a distended gut can be misleading whenyou are making
visual appraisals, concentrate onthe thickness of the flesh when
you observe thefish from above. If the catfish are
overstockedand/or the food supply is insufficient, the fish
willbecome “skinnier” over time. This sometimeshappens if
unexpected natural spawning occurs.In contrast, as the fish
population declinesbecause of fishing (or other mortality), the
fleshwill become thicker and “fatter.”
Corrective ManagementThree techniques can be used for
correcting
unbalanced or undesirable fish populations: reno-vation, harvest
manipulation, and supplementalstocking. However, if unsatisfactory
fish popula-tions are the result of poor water quality, improp-er
pond design, or an overabundance of aquaticvegetation, these
techniques used alone may notbe successful.
Renovation. Consider total renovation usingrotenone if species
such as gar, bowfin, flatheadcatfish, chain pickerel, black
bullheads, commoncarp, buffalo, and carpsuckers are present. If
crap-pie are present, stunting (poor growth) and over-population
can sometimes occur, and renovationmay be necessary. The presence
of warmouth andgreen sunfish does not require renovation ifbluegill
are present or can be supplementallystocked.
Harvest Manipulation. Angler harvest is animportant management
tool for adjusting the pop-ulation structure of sport species. For
bass and
bluegill ponds, harvest recommendations aredetermined by the
relative abundance of the twospecies and their size distributions
based onangling records and PSD values (Table 2).
Harvestrecommendations for balanced bass-bluegill pop-ulations are
given in the HarvestRecommendations section.
For blue or channel catfish, maintain harvestrecords to
determine the number of the originalstocking removed. Balanced bass
and bluegillpopulations may limit catfish reproduction even
ifspawning habitat is provided. If the catfish seemto be in poor
condition (they look skinny),increase the harvest substantially to
reduce com-petition for the food supply.
All other species caught should be removedfrom the pond
regardless of size and number.These include gar, bowfin, flathead
catfish, chainpickerel, bullhead, Rio Grande cichlid (Rio
Grandeperch), common carp, buffalo, carpsucker, greensunfish, and
warmouth.
Supplemental Stocking. Soemtimes, pondassessment evaluations
determine that supple-mental stocking is needed to restore balance
orestablish a fishery. If shoreline seining and anglerrecords
reveal that bass are not present, a popula-tion could be
established by stocking 20 8- to 12-inch bass per surface acre, if
forage is available. Ifbluegills are abundant and stunted at about
3inches, increase this rate to 40 bass per surfaceacre. If you
stock smaller fingerlings, they usuallywon’t survive in a pond with
an established popu-
12
Table 2. Assessment of Fish Populations Based on Seining June to
October. Seine Contents Status Recommendations
Young bass1 present; many recently hatchedbluegills2; few
intermediate3 bluegills Population balanced Use 12” to 15” slot or
other goal- oriented
harvest regulation
No young bass1; no recently hatched bluegills2; Bluegills
overcrowded Stock 20 to 40 8” to 12” bass per acre; many
intermediate bluegills3 stop bass harvest for 1 year or
completely
renovate & restock pond
No young bass1; many recently hatched Bass badly Remove 25 to 40
of overcrowded size perbluegills2 and very few intermediate
bluegill overcrowded acre; return larger bass
No young bass1; no recently hatched bluegills2; Competition from
Renovate with rotenone and restockfew intermediate bluegills3
undesirable fish
species
Young largemouth bass present; many recently Moderately Remove
10 to 15 overcrowded bass/acrehatched sunfish; few intermediate
sunfish overcrowded bass1Less than 4 inches long2Less than 2 inches
long33 inches to 6 inches
-
lation. A common but unwise practice of manyavid bass anglers is
to add more bass just becausebass are what they like to catch. But
if the bassare already unable to sustain their numbersbecause of
poor water quality or inadequate for-age, adding fingerlings will
not correct the situa-tion.
The only time you should stock bass on top ofan existing
balanced bass population is to intro-duce Florida bass to spawn
with native bass. Theresulting F1 cross of the two subspecies may
growfaster and larger than the parents, if proper for-age, habitat,
and water quality are present. Stock-ing 20 advanced (6- to 8-inch)
Florida bass finger-lings per surface acre should establish a
breedingpopulation in most ponds. However, you shouldfirst consult
with a fisheries biologist before yousupplementally stock Florida
bass. If your assess-ment indicates that bluegill are not present,
youshould stock advanced bluegill fingerlings (3 inch-es and
larger) at the rate of 40 per surface acre.This is often needed in
ponds where warmouthand green sunfish are the only forage
speciesavailable for bass. Several species can be stockedwith the
bluegill to further increase forage avail-ability. Threadfin shad
are often stocked at 200 to500 per surface acre, although
restocking is some-times needed in small shallow ponds because
ofdie-offs due to this species’ sensitivity to watertemperatures
below 42oF and/or over-predationby the bass. This species is a
relatively slow swim-mer and will often be rapidly eliminated.
In established multi-species ponds, you canstock channel and/or
blue catfish (if none arealready present) at the rate of 100 per
surfaceacre. Fingerlings should be no smaller than 10inches to
avoid predation by adult bass. Re-stock-ing may be needed every 3
to 5 years at rates ofup to 100 fingerlings per surface acre, since
bassand bluegill populations often limit the naturalreproduction of
catfish. Do not restock catfish-only ponds until half of the
original number havebeen removed. However, the total weight of
cat-fish present should never exceed 1,000 poundsper surface acre
during the warm months. Thestocking rate you use should be based on
the sizeof the pond, the condition and total weight of thecatfish
present, and the frequency of feeding.Fathead minnows are often
supplementallystocked in catfish-only ponds at the rate of 500
to
1,000 per surface acre to provide additional for-age. Although
catfish do not normally spawn insmall ponds, catfish stocked alone
should not beencouraged to reproduce by adding spawninghabitat,
since reproduction cannot be controlledand overpopulation and
stunting may result.
Other Management ConsiderationsSome aspects of pond management
are not
covered in detail in this publication. Aquatic weedcontrol, pond
renovation, habitat improvement,fertilization, and pond
construction are a fewexamples. However, material has been
publishedabout these and other important aspects of pondmanagement
(see References). Remember, appro-priate stocking is only one step
toward enjoyinggood farm-pond fishing. Many of these
additionalmanagement techniques are also necessary.
SummaryThis publication provides management infor-
mation to pond owners to increase the recreation-al value of
their sport fishery. The informationhere should help you to
effectively stock andmanage your pond under most conditions.
Evenafter the pond has been properly stocked, anassessment made,
and necessary correctiveactions taken, you should continue to
monitorfish populations. Shoreline seining and accuratecatch
records will provide good assessment infor-mation for your future
management decisions. Ifyou encounter special problems or
conditions,advice is available from qualified fisheries biolo-gists
with consulting firms, fish farms, universi-ties, and state and
federal agencies.
Proper management of fish in a pond is asmuch an art as a
science. As research continuesand the results are developed into
recommenda-tions, pond management will become more suc-cessful.
The art of management will always be a neces-sity. Even if all
the science needed for pond man-agement were available in this
publication, youwould still need to be able to choose the
bestcombination of facts to deal with your particularproblems.
Experience, learning from mistakes andsuccesses, is the only way to
develop the art ofmanagement.
13
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ReferencesU.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources
Conservation Service 101 South Main Street Temple, Texas 76501
“Building a Pond.” Farmers Bulletin No. 2256.1973. 13 pp.
“Catfish Farming.” Farmers Bulletin No. 2260.1981. 29 pp.
“Ponds: Planning, Design, Construction.”Agricultural Handbook
No. 590. 1982.51 pp.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department4200 Smith School RoadAustin,
Texas 78744
Forshage, Allen A., and Kenneth R. Moore.“Fish Habitat
Improvement in Reservoirs.” PWDBooklet 30QO-12. Printed May
1980.
Inman, C. R. “Construction Hints andPreliminary Management
Practices for NewPonds and Lakes.” PWD Booklet 3000-7.Printed March
1980. 10 pp.
Kemp, Robert J. “Freshwater Fishes of Texas.”1971. 40 pp.
Menn, C. T. “Rotenone: Its Use in FisheriesManagement.” PWD
Brochure 3000-77.October1979.
Smith, Dwane Q., and John M. Mitchell. “TheEcology of Farm Pond
Fertilization.” PWDBrochure 3000-24. Printed June 1978.
Texas Agricultural Extension ServiceDepartment of Wildlife and
FisheriesNagle Hall, Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, Texas
77843
Davis, James T., and Kim Jefferson. “AquaticPlants Field
Identification Guide.” CD-ROM.
Higginbotham, Billy. “Threadfin ShadManagement and Culture.”
Texas AgriculturalExtension Service publication L-2085. 2 pp.
Higginbotham, Billy. “Texas Farm PondManagement Calendar.”
Prairie ViewCooperative Extension Program publication. 2 pp.
Higginbotham, Billy. “Forage Species: Range,Description, and
Life History.” SouthernRegional Aquaculture Center publication
SRAC140.
Higginbotham, Billy and Donny W. Steinbach.“Renovation of Farm
Ponds.” Texas AgriculturalExtension Service publication L-2084. 2
pp.
Lock, Joe. “Pond Fertilization.” PublicationA0904. 2 pp.
Lock, Joe. “Management of Recreational FishPonds in Texas.”
1995. Texas AgriculturalExtension Service publication B-213.
August1993. 18 pp.
Lock, Joe. “Largemouth Bass: Biology and LifeHistory.” Southern
Regional Aquaculture Centerpublication SRAC 200.
Lock, Joe, and James Davis. “Liming Farm FishPonds in East Texas
Publication.” TexasAgricultural Extension Service publication
L-1864. January 1986. 2 pp.
Lock, Joe, and Don Steinbach. “Catfish in FarmPonds For Food and
Recreation.” TexasAgricultural Extension Service publication
B-1319. June 1992. 5 pp.
Masser, Michael P., and John W. Jensen.“Calculating Area and
Volume of Ponds andTanks.” Southern Regional Aquaculture
Centerpublication SRAC 103. August 1991. 7 pp.
Masser, Michael P., and John W. Jensen.“Calculating Treatments
for Ponds and Tanks.”Southern Regional Aquaculture Center
publica-tion SRAC 410. August 1991. 7 pp.
Steinbach, Donny W., and Richard Noble.“Largemouth Bass.” Texas
AgriculturalExtension Service publication L-2083. 2 pp.
Steinbach, Donny W., and Billy Higginbotham.“Clearing Muddy
Ponds.” Publication A0905. 1 p.
Wurts, William A., and Robert M. Durborow.“Interactions of pH,
Carbon Dioxide, Alkalinity,and Hardness in Fish Ponds.”
SouthernRegional Aquaculture Center publication SRAC464. December
1992. 4 pp.
Appendix
Assessing Population Size Structure A technical index commonly
used to analyze
the size distribution of bass-bluegill populationsfrom catch
records is Percentage Size Distribution(PSD). To determine the
angling PSD for bass, thenumber of quality bass (12 inches and
longer) is
14
-
15
Table A. Harvest Recommendations Based on Angling PSD Values.
Catch Composition Angling PSD (%) Harvest Recommendations
Bass BluegillBass average 12” to 15”; bluegill 40-70 40-60
Balanced pond-release 12” to 15” bassrange 3” to 6” or larger
Bass average 12” to 15”: bluegill 20-60 less than 40 Bluegill
reaching overcrowded condition-caught are smaller than 5” harvest
more bluegill; release 12” to 15” bass
Most bass are 12” or larger; bluegill greater than less than 40
Bluegill overcrowded- harvest more bluegill;caught are smaller than
5” 70 release all bass
Bass are easy to catch. Most are less than 20 50-80 Bass
reaching over-crowded condition-harvestsmaller than 12”; bluegill
3” to 6” more bass smaller than 12”; release 12” toor larger 15”
bass and all bluegill
Bass are easy to catch. Most are less than 20 more than 80 Bass
overcrowded. Harvest more bass smallersmaller than 12”; bluegill
(6” plus) than 12”; release 12” to 15” bass and allabundant
bluegill
Undesirable species Consider renovation
divided by the total number of bass and then mul-tiplied by 100.
A balanced bass population shouldhave an angling PSD between 20
percent and 60percent.
Example: Catch records indicate that 100 basswere caught, 33 of
which were 12 inches orlonger. The PSD would be:
33 (bass 12 inches and longer)/100(all bass) x 100 = 33%
A PSD (bass) of 33 percent means that, of all thebass caught,
one-third were at least 12 incheslong.
For bluegill, the number of quality bluegill (6inches and
longer) is divided by the total numberof bluegill and then
multiplied by 100. A satisfac-tory bluegill angling PSD range is 50
percent to 80percent.
Example: Catch records indicate that 40 bluegillwere caught, 20
of which were 6 inches or longer.The PSD would be:
20 (bluegill 6 inches and longer)/40(all bluegill) x 100 =
50%
A PSD (bluegill) of 50 percent means that, of allbluegill
caught, one-half were at least 6 incheslong.
To achieve balanced populations, you shouldstrive to maintain
PSD values for both specieswithin these suggested ranges. Table A
shows eval-uations based on angling PSD. The values that
falloutside the suggested ranges may be indicate aneed for
corrective management. Be sure to fishwith a variety of lures and
baits, with your anglingefforts spread throughout the year.
-
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Educational programs of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service
are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex,
disability, religion, ageor national origin.Issued in furtherance
of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics,
Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, andJune 30, 1914, in
cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. Zerle
L. Carpenter, Director, Texas Agricultural Extension Service,The
Texas A&M University System.
Editor: Elizabeth GregoryTypesetting and Page Design: Vera
JohnsonTexas Agricultural Extension Service