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Big Sunfish Option
If you
primarily are interested in harvesting large bluegills and redear sunfish
(bream), you will need to modify the All-Purpose management strategy.
Stock the pond as shown in Table 1, then after the initial
2 to 3 year period of bass catch and release, harvest all bass over 16 inches
in length. High densities of 13 to 16 inch bass will eat a lot of the small
bream, leaving the remaining bluegill and redear to grow fast and large.
This strategy will produce fewer but larger bream (8-inches or longer) for
you to catch and harvest, but will not produce large bass.
A general recommendation is to harvest a minimum of 10 pounds of bream
for every pound of bass in your pond. Bass are relatively easy to catch,
and this “big bream” strategy will not work if a pond cannot be protected
from poaching. As with the Big Bass option, in order for this plan
to be successful, it is critical to follow the water quality, fertilization,
and aquatic weed management programs that are addressed in detail in “MP-360 Farm Pond Management for Recreational
Fishing”.
A supplemental feeding program during the summer months can also help
produce larger bluegill. Bluegill do well on floating catfish feed and
feeding will result in more and bigger fish. For best results, feed
fish at least 4 times a week. Automatic feeders, although expensive, are
a good option for pond owners who desire larger fish but who do not have
the time to feed on a daily basis.
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Table 1: Species selection
and stocking rates (fingerlings/acre) for all-purpose fisheries.
| Pond Type |
Largemouth Bass
|
Bluegill*
|
Redear Sunfish*
|
Channel Catfish**
|
Grass Carp***
|
Unfertilized
|
50
|
400
|
100
|
100
|
5
|
Fertilized
|
100
|
800
|
200
|
200
|
5
|
*
If you wish to stock only bluegill, increase stocking rate to include
redear stocking rate.
** Optional
*** Optional to control aquatic weeds.
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