Dry ponds? Dry Fish?

EhlerDave

Okay we got rain, almost 11 inches fell in 4 days. Now that the ponds have water again how long will it take them to be able to support fish? Most of the small ponds were dry, very dry for 8-10 months.

I have seen people out fishing in them now that the water is back. Anyway any fish can still be alive? I have asked and all the people say the same thing, no fish biting. All the bait fish are long gone. I know the catfish will go into the mud but even that cant help when the mud dries. Can they go deep enough to stay alive?

I just dont want to waiste my time moving fish to find out the ponds cant support them yet, any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

BOBBYWINS

Anytime I've "killed-out" a pond or had one go dry,the first thing I do is to get the bait fish back ASAP.

All it takes is a trip to the bait shop for a dozen or so minnows and some perch(blue gills are great,if ya can get a hold of some.).

With all the larger fish gone,they'll multiply in a hurry as long as they have enough cover.[;)]

Then re-stock.

BW

EhlerDave

That sounds like a plan.

We have 4 ponds right here around the house (not our ponds) But I am going to try this with them.

Thanks, that is sorta what I was thinking.

iwannausername

Just be sure to go with native fish and not imports...

Gunswapper

If the ponds are subject to dry up, is it worthwhile to restock them??

littlebeno

I also live in the farming area and there are a lot of ponds. I seen many ponds go dry from irregation or what have you and a few years down the road fish are back. Now I talked to a old timer and this is what he told me. A pond will restock itself in time ducks carry eggs on the webs of there feet from pond to pond. If this is true I aint certain.

SahaganBeta

I was driving down a country road one day, and saw something shiny sitting in the nearby ditch. So I stopped, got out and looked. There lay, still trying to breath, a bass that would have gone at least better than a pound.

So, I did a very uncharacteristic thing and thought about it a while. It seemed to me the only way to explain the mystery, is that some bird of prey had scooped up the fish from a local pond, and had dropped it when attacked by another bird, or else it just got too heavy for him to hold.

Had that ditch been a pond, well, that would be a good start on stocking. And too, I've heard birds often bring fish eggs to ponds in their droppings.

Anyhow, I know a body can dig a pond, give it a couple of years, and fish will appear.

Sahagan

RKirsch

To stock or restock. First add fathead minnows or other bait fish in early spring. They'll breed explosively if there is an insect/plant/plankton forage base for them. Mid summer (or next season) add a sunfish - bluegill, pumpkinseed, etc. They'll feed on the minnows and also breed a lot. The beginning of the next season add LMB. You'll establish a population of LMB eating minnows, sunfish, and fry, sunfish eating fry and minnows, etc. Carp and catfish can be added also. If your pond is big enough you can try whipers (white bass/striper hybrids) as the * predator.

Check your state and local regs FIRST.