Whether you have a ¼ acre pond or a 10 acre lake that has been neglected for some time, bringing it back to life may seem daunting, but there are a few things you can do to get it back on track and create an ideal environment for your fish to thrive.
What Happens When a Pond is Neglected
Overpopulated = Skinny or Stunted Bass
If you neglect your pond, various issues can arise. In smaller ponds, bass often overpopulate and become stunted, particularly if you frequently catch and release them back into the water. This could lead to stunted or "skinny" bass.
Too Many Predator Fish and Not Enough Forage Fish
As the bass population grows each season due to spawning, it overwhelms the forage fish, such as minnows and bluegill, making it difficult for them to sustain a healthy population. As a result, you'll end up with too many predator fish and insufficient prey for them to consume to reach a larger size.
Bass are Easy to Catch When They’re Overpopulated in a Pond
When Bass are overpopulated, your catch rate will be very high, but the Bass will likely be in the 10-12” range and be very skinny. The bass are easy to catch in an overpopulated pond because they are basically starving and will bite almost anything.
Overgrown Vegetation Can Lead to Pond Problems
Another common theme in a neglected pond is vegetation totally engulfing a pond.
Negative Effects of Overgrown Pond Vegetation
Impossible to Fish
Thick vegetation makes fishing in your pond almost impossible, particularly from the shoreline. It's incredibly frustrating to constantly remove 'moss' from your lure after each cast. Even using a weedless setup doesn't always solve the problem. If you manage to cast far enough to catch a Bass, the challenge then becomes pulling it through the dense vegetation to the shore. Sometimes, the vegetation is so dense that your line might break under the added weight.
Oxygen Deprivation and Fish Kills
Another downside of excessive pond vegetation is that it can cause oxygen depletion, potentially resulting in fish deaths. The chances of this happening rise with a lack of rain and intense heat during the summer months. When filamentous algae, which floats on the surface, covers the entire pond, it prevents oxygen-producing photosynthesis. If this situation persists for an extended period, the risk of oxygen depletion becomes more likely.
Know the Health and Species of Fish in Your Pond
The first step in the process of knowing the health of your pond is figuring out the metrics of the fish population.
This includes:
- Species of fish
- Density of fish
- Overall health of the fish
How to Find Out What Species of Fish Are in Your Pond
Toss Out a Line and See What You Catch
Figuring out what kind of fish are in your pond can be done simply by fishing. To get the best sampling of species of fish in the pond, make sure to fish with a variety of types of baits, sizes of baits, and try fishing at different times of the year.
Spring is Usually the Most Active Season for Fishing
A great time to fish your pond is in the Spring when temps begin to warm. Fish are very active during this time, and your chances of catching them are greatest compared to a 100 degree Summer day or a 30 degree Winter Day. On the dog days of summer, or brisk winter days, your catch data can be skewed because fish are typically conserving their energy, and not as likely to bite.
Electroshock Surveys Sample Fish Populations
If you have a larger pond or lake, you may decide to invest in an electroshock survey. During an electroshock survey, biologists gather a sampling of the fish population, and record the lengths and weights of each fish.
Once an electrofishing survey is completed, fisheries biologists take the data collected, analyze the health of the fish, and produce a custom report with recommendations for improvement or maintenance to the pond and fish population.
Use Fish Population Data to Improve Your Pond
Once you have gathered the fish population data, you can make informed decisions on how to improve your fishery (and hopefully get it to produce fish like the one in the photo above!!). This may be:
- Stocking additional fish
- Removal of certain types of fish
- Adding aquatic vegetation or artificial habitat to provide cover for the fish to enable them to thrive
Speak to a Fisheries Biologist about Small Pond Management
Managing fisheries is not a quick fix or a single-step process. It requires ongoing monitoring each year to ensure your fishery reaches its full potential. This demands both time and effort, which, as you might know, is often found in short supply.
If that’s the case, allow Pond King to help take care of these tasks. Contact us anytime or call to ask a pro how to better manage your lake! We offer a variety of services to help make your pond or lake the best it can be.
We’ll see y’all down at the pond
