tried fi shing with a variety of lures and methods at various times. Keep records of how long you
fi sh, the fi shing method used, and what size and kind of fish you catch. Such records will be use- ful when seeking advice from an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation fi sheries biologist, a qualifi ed fi sh hatchery operator, or when reading a pond management booklet to determine what correc- tive steps to take. Perhaps the most common situ-
ation is that there are lots of small, thin sunfi sh and very few or no largemouth bass. This indicates that bass have been overharvested — this can easily occur, especially in ponds of only a few acres. If you have access to largemouth bass big enough to eat the largest size blue- gill in the pond, you may be able to bring bluegill reproduction under control. A largemouth bass must be at
least 2.5 to 3 times longer than a bluegill in order to swallow it. Most pond owners will fi nd it too expensive to purchase large bass. Instead they should consider catch- ing bass from the wild and carefully handling and transporting them to their pond. Catch limits, legal fi sh- ing methods, and all other fi shing regulations must be observed when doing so. If you cannot obtain large bass,
the best option for improving fi sh- ing is usually to eliminate all fi sh and restock. Rotenone is a pesticide approved for controlling fi sh. Care must be taken not to apply it to a full pond before it rains or you may cause a large downstream fi sh kill. Contact your local game ranger for advice on applying rotenone. Rotenone is highly toxic to pigs
and moderately toxic to horses. If your pond has a bottom drain,
52 The Cattleman May 2013
µ
A teeter trap may take care of turtle trouble
or you set up a siphon or pump, you can partially drain the pond to reduce the amount of rotenone needed. If you choose to totally drain
your pond, be aware that fi sh can remain alive in puddles. Allow the pond to dry until the bottom cracks or apply one-half pound of quick- lime per 10 square feet of puddle. Use caution to keep it out of your eyes. Another common situation is too
many of one or more of the follow- ing: crappie, mudcats (bullheads), shad, shiners, goldfi sh, green sun- fi sh together with poor bass and bluegill populations. Although crappie are well liked
by anglers, they should not be stocked in most ponds. Their large number of young lead to stunted populations unless an effective bass population can be maintained. Flat- head catfi sh should also be avoided since they will consume every other fi sh in a pond. The solution for ponds predomi-
nated by these undesirable fi sh is to eliminate all fi sh and restock. Steps may then need to be taken to prevent the repopulation of un- desirable fi sh.
Sick fi sh If your fi sh have fi rst been dy- ing a few at a time and now at an
increasing rate, or they are swim- ming strangely, then they probably have a bacterial infection or parasite problem. Fish weakened by lack of food or stressed by poor water quality are vulnerable to diseases. Quick increases in water tempera- ture in the spring and the stress of stocking can also lead to problems. You may want to collect a sample for disease diagnosis. In recreational fi shing ponds, a
common underlying cause of dis- ease is lack of adequate food. In- spect several fi sh by holding them and looking at them from above. If they appear thin, the problem is probably a lack of food. Overfeeding catfi sh can also be
a problem — put out no more than they will clean up in 15 minutes. The maximum safe amount of feed is 20 pounds per surface acre each day. More than this amount will lead to stressful, if not fatal, low oxygen or high ammonia levels. It does not matter if the fi sh want to eat more — a standing water pond can only handle 30 pounds of feed per surface acre per day. Feeding during winter should
be done only with caution. Occa- sional light feedings of a sinking or semi-sinking feed, when the fi sh will take it and warm weather is predicted for several days, is accept- able. Never feed in such a manner that the feed goes uneaten or fi sh will have a full stomach when water temperatures drop.
Turtles Turtles are widely disliked be-
cause of their habit of stealing bait off hooks and eating fi sh held on stringers. It is rare for them to eat healthy fi sh. Before you take steps to kill turtles, consider other ways to hold your catch, such as in wire baskets or coolers.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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