# Stocking walleye



## vib-E

Thinking of stocking walleye and perch in a gravel pit where i work.15 acre 120ft deep and still growing from operations.u guys think walleye will reproduce?lots of sandbars but no vegetation.plenty of gills shinners to feed on.and bass if they get real hungry.


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## M.Magis

Nope.


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## Salmonid

Gravel pit i assume?? While its possible for eyes to spawn in the lake. It is unlikely with out currents. Most pond guys consider them an expensive novelty as the growth rates are marginal at best

Salmonid
lake


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## vib-E

Yes gravel pit...ever watch jurassic park?life finds a way.lol


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## creekcrawler

Dang, 120 ft deep? Put some Lake Trout in there.


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## vib-E

creekcrawler said:


> Dang, 120 ft deep? Put some Lake Trout in there.


Not a bad idea


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## Skippy

Live by a 220 acre lake and we stock walleyes. These are 4 to 6 inch fish and we also put in at least 8 to 10 pounds of flathead minnows at the same time. Sort of instant food for them. I have seen a few small schools of walleye fry time to time but that's not a sure thing. Most all of the bigger eyes I've caught and kept have had either gills or small perch in them. 
Along the face of the dam, at night, during early spring I do see the walleyes going through there spawning thing. We do have a fall draw down and during the spring with the incoming water it's hard to tell if any of the eggs do make it to hatch. We get the eyes from Fender's fish hatchery. Good people there.


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## vib-E

Skippy said:


> Live by a 220 acre lake and we stock walleyes. These are 4 to 6 inch fish and we also put in at least 8 to 10 pounds of flathead minnows at the same time. Sort of instant food for them. I have seen a few small schools of walleye fry time to time but that's not a sure thing. Most all of the bigger eyes I've caught and kept have had either gills or small perch in them.
> Along the face of the dam, at night, during early spring I do see the walleyes going through there spawning thing. We do have a fall draw down and during the spring with the incoming water it's hard to tell if any of the eggs do make it to hatch. We get the eyes from Fender's fish hatchery. Good people there.


Whats the prices on walleye at fenders.i was planning on jones hatchery


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## Skippy

Vib, PM sent.


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## fishyscience

vib-E said:


> Thinking of stocking walleye and perch in a gravel pit where i work.15 acre 120ft deep and still growing from operations.u guys think walleye will reproduce?lots of sandbars but no vegetation.plenty of gills shinners to feed on.and bass if they get real hungry.


Very doubtful they will reproduce as they need a water FLOW, not just a sandbar. Yes, they will grow and be a put/take fishery, but do NOT count on reproduction. Also, if you have large bass/bluegills, you will need to stock walleye at least 7"+, unless you want them to become bass food.


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## vib-E

Fenders will have 5-7in walleye in a cpl weeks.$3.50 ea.im getting 50 for now.


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## Skippy

Like I said, real nice people to work with. Also make sure you put in some flathead minnows at the same time. Instant food for them plus they will help any other fish that are there. The walleyes we get from there do have a good growth rate.


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## vib-E

Theres plenty of minnows in there for them.they will be eating good.i googled growth rates.1st year 10in 2nd year 14.of course depends on food.but yeah seems they grow fast first 4 yrs.and i talked to them they said it will be possible for the spawn being a sandy gravely bottom.not all walleye need to run.depending on and where they r raised.depth shallow areaz.ect ect.so spawning is not out of the question.ill see what happends in the next 4 yrs.


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## Skippy

I think you miss what I'm saying. Those walleyes are trucked in from out of state then transferred over to there trucks. Maybe 1 or 2 days with out anything much to eat. By putting minnows in right at the same time the eyes are stocked they have food right there in front of them. No swimming around a strange lake looking to find food. Your spending good money, whats a few extra dollars going to hurt?


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## vib-E

Skippy said:


> I think you miss what I'm saying. Those walleyes are trucked in from out of state then transferred over to there trucks. Maybe 1 or 2 days with out anything much to eat. By putting minnows in right at the same time the eyes are stocked they have food right there in front of them. No swimming around a strange lake looking to find food. Your spending good money, whats a few extra dollars going to hurt?


Good point.think i will do that.thanks for the info


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## vib-E

Fenders gave me a good deal.since there shippment was shorted this week ill be getting 100 walleye for $3.00 a fish instead of $3.50.really good people to deal with.


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## Skippy

Not only good but great folks to deal with. They brought our fish, walleyes, perch, crappies, flathead minnows and some northern pike Monday and Tuesday. Norther ens were 2 years old and were between 12 and 16 inches. Will be fun to try to catch in a few years..


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## vib-E

Skippy said:


> Not only good but great folks to deal with. They brought our fish, walleyes, perch, crappies, flathead minnows and some northern pike Monday and Tuesday. Norther ens were 2 years old and were between 12 and 16 inches. Will be fun to try to catch in a few years..


Wheres ur lake at.lol


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## steelneyes2

Interesting thread, I'll be curious to see how they do if you'd update once in a while. Sometimes walleye successfully spawn in gravel pits, sometimes they don't. Even if you stock for a few years, you will have a catchable population to play with if they don't reproduce or get eaten. Keep in mind silt will kill walleye eggs and if they do hatch, the larvae are blown around on the wind after they hatch for about 2 weeks, they cannot swim well. So continued operations in the spring may or may not kill off the larvae. With little predation and abundant food, coupled with enough oxygen from the depth assuming it's spring fed, you may have a nice little place to play. If not, than get some Flathead catfish and watch them grow to 50 lbs.


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## vib-E

steelneyes2 said:


> Interesting thread, I'll be curious to see how they do if you'd update once in a while. Sometimes walleye successfully spawn in gravel pits, sometimes they don't. Even if you stock for a few years, you will have a catchable population to play with if they don't reproduce or get eaten. Keep in mind silt will kill walleye eggs and if they do hatch, the larvae are blown around on the wind after they hatch for about 2 weeks, they cannot swim well. So continued operations in the spring may or may not kill off the larvae. With little predation and abundant food, coupled with enough oxygen from the depth assuming it's spring fed, you may have a nice little place to play. If not, than get some Flathead catfish and watch them grow to 50 lbs.


Ill keep everyone informed on the yrs ahead.if they reproduce its a plus if they dont no big deal.ill be the only one that fishes it anyway.the water thats in the pit is the water table.highwall is 50ft down to water surface then from water surface to bottom is 120ft at the moment.yrs to come itll be 200ft.dropoffs like crazy also shallow sand bars way at the other end.maybe in future ill stock yellow perch and possibly a few rainbows.visibility on monday morning before operations start is 10ft.i think the walleye will be in a decent lake.


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## Skippy

Vib-e, the lakes 2 1/2 minutes from the end of my driveway.lol... Sort of crazy but I'll hook the boat up and drive 45 miles to fish other lakes. Heck, I have to drive right past Salt Fork in order to get to Seneca.. I just like trying to figure out different lakes. 

Good luck on that pit your stocking. Sure sounds like it has some great potential..


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## vib-E

Skippy said:


> Vib-e, the lakes 2 1/2 minutes from the end of my driveway.lol... Sort of crazy but I'll hook the boat up and drive 45 miles to fish other lakes. Heck, I have to drive right past Salt Fork in order to get to Seneca.. I just like trying to figure out different lakes.
> 
> Good luck on that pit your stocking. Sure sounds like it has some great potential..


I do the same.drive an hr and a half to erie or 40min to tappen.when i could just fish in the pit wich is 2miles from my house.or the bc dam wich i did yesterday cuz i had to fish in a hurry.lol


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## vib-E

Walleye r in the lake...now to find somebody that carries sauger.lol


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## steelneyes2

Hmmm, a make your own Saugeye experiment. I don't think anyone raises Sauger but the State due to the expense and relatively low returns on investment from a business standpoint. The State of course is funded by license and tackle tax so they do so only for stocking purposes. The only way to get them would be to catch them and transport them to the pit for release. I believe that is legal so long as there is no chance for the pit to overflow into public waters, but check the laws first. As of late, transporting live fish is a pretty hot topic and you are risking introducing VHS or other diseases to your pit and a massive fish kill. 
I know when I worked for the DNR, anything that was exposed to the Lake Erie watershed had to be cleaned and treated with a biocide before going back to the labs at OSU because of the possibility of unwanted introductions to the OH river watershed.


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## vib-E

I looked in the sauger idea....not gonna happen.alot of hassles.ill just stock more walleye next fall and some breeder yellow perch this fall.make me a mini lake erie.minus the chop.lol


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## s.a.m

fishyscience said:


> Very doubtful they will reproduce as they need a water FLOW, not just a sandbar. Yes, they will grow and be a put/take fishery, but do NOT count on reproduction. Also, if you have large bass/bluegills, you will need to stock walleye at least 7"+, unless you want them to become bass food.


then what happens on the reefs in lake erie?


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## percidaeben

s.a.m said:


> then what e happens on the reefs in lake erie?


There is a lot of current in Erie. The Great Lakes are actually a massive river system.


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## fishyscience

s.a.m said:


> then what happens on the reefs in lake erie?


S.A.M.-----There is a constant bottom current in Lake Erie, with direction varying with respect to surface winds. The current keep the siltation from building up over top the eggs and preventing the egg from 'breathing'.


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## s.a.m

thanks to the replys on the currents in lake erie.


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## vib-E

It's coming up on a year that I stocked walleye...haven't seen or caught any yet.haven't tried real hard either thiugh.we shall see how big they are come November if I catch one.


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## vib-E

This past week Iv noticed about 20 small schools of shad at the surface...with the walleye I put in I was assuming not seeing as much Baitfish this fall...I can tell you the walleye ain't starving.lol


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## Flowie

How much current would one need to encourage walleye to reproduce? What is an aerator or pump were added to create a stream into the lake? If you made a water feature with a waterfall...would that be enough?


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## vib-E

Been fshing the pit at least once a week..no walleye caught yet..definitly hard place to fish..no cover except the dredge that floats and the floats the conveyer sits on that runs to land.good drop offs and humps though.randomly mark fish no particular spot.try again today...oh and as a flow...the only flow we get is that back wash from the plant but that only flows 8 hrs a day in spring thru fall when we run gravel.im sure thats not enough constant flow to promot spawning..


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## percidaeben

Keep us posted if you can. Very cool,interesting stuff,at least to me!


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## Spike Dog

If we get a polar vortex maybe you could ice fish on it?


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## buckeyebowman

steelneyes2 said:


> Interesting thread, I'll be curious to see how they do if you'd update once in a while. Sometimes walleye successfully spawn in gravel pits, sometimes they don't. Even if you stock for a few years, you will have a catchable population to play with if they don't reproduce or get eaten. Keep in mind silt will kill walleye eggs and if they do hatch, the larvae are blown around on the wind after they hatch for about 2 weeks, they cannot swim well. So continued operations in the spring may or may not kill off the larvae. With little predation and abundant food, coupled with enough oxygen from the depth assuming it's spring fed, you may have a nice little place to play. If not, than get some Flathead catfish and watch them grow to 50 lbs.


Silt was one of the things I wondered about, since in the original post the OP said the pit was getting larger from "operations". This tells me that gravel, sand, whatever is still being mined out of there and that will raise silt. 

The reason for current, or some water movement, being important to the viability of fish eggs is that it keeps silt off of them and keeps them oxygenated. Walleye will spawn out on the Lake Erie reefs, but there are currents out there. 

Could be fun for a put and take fishery. A coupe of buddies of mine had a place like that. It was an old stripper cut that had been left alone for a long time. They put smallmouth and largemouth in there, plus minnow and crawdads to try to establish a forage base. What a sweet little honey hole! One of those places you could catch a bass every second or third cast! Unfortunately, it's gone now. Some years ago a "recycling" outfit bought it and it's now a landfill!


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## vib-E

Ice fishing wont happen if it aint cold for at least 2 weeks straight at 10 degrees.it never froze last year or this year yet.its 130ft deep now at the deepest.yes the silt is heavy in the running months.right now visibility was 10ft. 100s of dead or dieing shad when water temp is cold like it is now.in the spring im gonna put yellow perch in then in the fall prob 200 more walleye...its just an all around place hard place to fish.i use the boat we have there to drift or vertical jig.definitly fun..


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## vib-E

Oh an as for bass 5lb bass at that.can catch them easy.my 5 yr old daughter had a few haydays reeling them in.im not a bass fisherman so they might exit the water as i get them sooner or later.sorry bass guys.lol


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## percidaeben

vib-E said:


> Oh an as for bass 5lb bass at that.can catch them easy.my 5 yr old daughter had a few haydays reeling them in.im not a bass fisherman so they might exit the water as i get them sooner or later.sorry bass guys.lol


Well shucks, when is the OGF help vib-E with his ice cream social this spring? Haha! Good for her and you!


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## vib-E

percidaeben said:


> Well shucks, when is the OGF help vib-E with his ice cream social this spring? Haha! Good for her and you!


yeah maybe ill invite ogf over and have the eliminate bass day.lol


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## DHower08

Alright vibe me and my 5 y.o are ready to come anytime to help you get rid of them 5 lbers!! Ill swing by and grab bobberbucket on the way


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## vib-E

alright i cant even troll 5 min here without hooking into these every single time..i gotta come up with a bass managment plan.still been trying to catch those walleye i put in.lol.


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## bajuski

Very interesting read, thanks for the update, good luck.


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## vib-E

i want to stock yellow perch but would it be worth it?orwould they turn into food?plenty of other bait fish for sure.


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## Spike Dog

Start eating some of those bass vib-e.


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## Shortdrift

My feeling is you will be lucky o catch many walleye that those bass somehow missed. I hope i am wrong but without weeds to hide in, any fry or fingerlings have the odds stacked against them.


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## hailtothethief

I have a 50 x70 x 12 feet deep pond. Ton of cattails around the edges. Makes a horse shoe of cattails. Are cattails good enough weeds or are some weeds better than others for perch to hide in.


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## vib-E

Shortdrift said:


> My feeling is you will be lucky o catch many walleye that those bass somehow missed. I hope i am wrong but without weeds to hide in, any fry or fingerlings have the odds stacked against them.


the walleye i had put in were 8-10in fish..still possible i guess for bass


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## island troller

I grew up with a 1 acre stone quarry in our back yard. For years I threw lake erie walleyes in it to catch again and never seen them to spawn in that quarry.


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## Bluegillin'

If you are having trouble with Walleye, I am wondering if it would be better for you to stock Saugeye. Given that the Walleye are not likely to spawn anyway, I believe Saugeye may do better. I believe that is why the state stocks primarily Saugeye vs. Walleye on inland lakes. I could be wrong on this but something to consider.


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## vib-E

Bluegillin' said:


> If you are having trouble with Walleye, I am wondering if it would be better for you to stock Saugeye. Given that the Walleye are not likely to spawn anyway, I believe Saugeye may do better. I believe that is why the state stocks primarily Saugeye vs. Walleye on inland lakes. I could be wrong on this but something to consider.


i thought of stocking saugeye.did some research couldnt find saugeye anywhere..i could out of state but it be more expensive.fenders is close so i went with them..


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## hailtothethief

If you got bass in your pond they will beat up the walleye.


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## vib-E

hailtothethief said:


> If you got bass in your pond they will beat up the walleye.


as many shad thats in the the lake???i can tell you the fish are not starving.


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## hailtothethief

I was typing to islandtroller. If you have one acre and put walleye and bass together the bass probably killed the walleye. My suspicion why the walleye disappeared.


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## DHower08

Vibe if you want help removing them bass id be more than glad to help! Never eaten a largemouth but id sure as hell try one


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## vib-E

DHower08 said:


> Vibe if you want help removing them bass id be more than glad to help! Never eaten a largemouth but id sure as hell try one


ill keep u in mind...if u eat them thats great.how much is bass fillets going for in stores anyways?hmmmmmm


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## DHower08

22.99 a pound. More value than walleyes haha


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## vib-E

Update.2 yrs ago i stocked walleye in this pit.havent seen or caught any since..i see tons of fatheads and shiners in the hot summer months.i fish it hard in the early spring and fall.come thanksgiving this year im gonna put. Yellow perch in.iv been talking about it.but now im gonna do it.also wanted to add another fish..either stripped bass or trout..at the deepest its 150ft deep.as in last post no cover whats so ever.i was gonna add trees but not possible cause of the ever changing landscape.what do u guys think of the stripped bass or trout idea?or any other fish..id really like sauger but cant find them any where.need some input.


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## Skippy

Vib-E, Call Steve over at Fenders. Talk to him, maybe even ask him to come out and make some recommendations as to a solid stocking program for your lake. I'd start taking some of the smaller bass out and leaving the bigger ones alone. Little ones taste better anyway. 
Have you ever walked your shore line at night shining a flashlight looking for the walleyes?


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## hailtothethief

Walleye spawn in rivers. Any rivers connected to your lake? Should see the walleye in the rivers come spring.


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## vib-E

Never walked the shoreline at night.i probly should see what i can see.fenders likes stocking the usual fish.unless its spring fed.this lake is the water table.they recomend no trout...on another note i did troll some yesterday and caught this yellow perch..had no idea how it got in here...im assuming theres more.unless i caught the only perch in the whole lake.lol.no walleye.bunch of bass caught too.


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## BFG

Perch might have been mixed in with your walleyes. My guess if your best shot at catching a walleye in that strip is going to be casting stickbaits and/or Rattle-Trap type lures at NIGHT, up on shallow flats, particularly ones onto which the wind is blowing. 

Match the hatch....whatever size shad you are seeing will b what the walleyes are eating, and should be the size of crank you are throwing. Another good option is fluke-style or paddle tail swimbaits. 

Once again...at night...walleyes are like vampires, they hate that sun man.


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## DHower08

Vibe e what gravel put do you work at . No fishing or hunting allowd on the pits at the company I work for and yes it's full of giant bass. They hang out around our dredge. We feed them atat lun time lol


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## vib-E

DHower08 said:


> Vibe e what gravel put do you work at . No fishing or hunting allowd on the pits at the company I work for and yes it's full of giant bass. They hang out around our dredge. We feed them atat lun time lol


Soehnlen bros sand and gravel...I haven't had time to fish it lately...usually try in the fall and spring...

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## DHower08

Soehnlin. Where are they at. That's my vets name


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## vib-E

DHower08 said:


> Soehnlin. Where are they at. That's my vets name


Beach city.there related some how or another

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## DHower08

Hell we work at pits only about 15 min from each other


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## vib-E

Which one u work at?416?


DHower08 said:


> Hell we work at pits only about 15 min from each other


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## DHower08

American sand and gravel


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## DHower08

Your lucky they let you fish


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## vib-E

I knew them since I was 5 and fished there as a kid...so now I work there.and still fish.lol.not very often but I do fish there...american s and g.don't let u fish?


DHower08 said:


> Your lucky they let you fish


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## DHower08

Hell no you even think about it the owners on your ass. It's in our paper work absolutely no hunting or fishing on any a s&g property. But of course he goose hunts it


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## TRIPLE-J

hailtothethief said:


> Walleye spawn in rivers. Any rivers connected to your lake? Should see the walleye in the rivers come spring.


walleye spawn in lakes also... pretty sure erie is a big lake and they spawn in there every year


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## DHower08

TRIPLE-J said:


> walleye spawn in lakes also... pretty sure erie is a big lake and they spawn in there every year


Current is key the great lakes are a giant river system with constant current


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## percidaeben

DHower08 said:


> Current is key the great lakes are a giant river system with constant current


Right on.


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## vib-E

But the walleye were put in at 8-10inches...that's all they know is this pit life.lol.....life will find a way....am I right?didn't u guys ever watch jurrassic park?lol..

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## vib-E

No walleye yet this year..but a lot of these






























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## Skippy

Those are some nice ones. About a month ago our lake put in 1200 walleye 5 to 7 inches then just this week we put in 1500 perch, 5 to7 inches and 1500 crappies at 4 to 6 inches plus 30 pounds of minnows. Were allowed 2 walleyes a day at 17 inches and 12 perch or crappie at 9 inches. Bass have a slot limit size. Mite sound like a lot but it figures out to 6 or 7 fiish per acre.


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## vib-E

Got into some nice gills today..









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## vib-E

Been awhile since I posted on this thread.but I'm gonna see if I can jig up a few of those walleye tomarrow....4 yrs in they gotta be a good size...I also threw I think 4 sauger in the lake 2 yrs ago...they made the trip back from the Ohio river so I dropped them off in there...

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## c. j. stone

My 1 ac. pond, formerly a small soup bowl shaped "frog pond" could not be dug out since it was mostly sand and gravel and chances were very good it would never "hold water"(unless it was lined w/clay--cost prohibitive!) I've wanted a pond since a young kid, sooo 30 yrs ago, we hauled in dirt(mostly bank-run) and raised the sides. I "rocked" nearby ag fields to put around the edges to help hold the banks til well established. We were only able to get a max depth of 6-7 feet in the middle. Over the years, we've put everything from gills to walleye in there for fishing diversity(NOT a good "textbook" stocking recommendation!) Since I aererate 24/7/365, everything survived(to my knowledge)-even a few nice cats and even some "wipers" from the Ohio river. Even with substantial cover around shore, I'm sure the walleye didn't reproduce since no young ones have been caught or observed. A larger pond with enough "wind/wave action" into shore Can allow reproduction however. The wave action causes enough "current/movement" to keep eggs from silting in which is why don't make it. Most of the inland lakes with walleye get plenty of wind and some do get "limited amounts" of reproduction. WB is one good example.


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## vib-E

I would like to see a sign of an eye...as I stated before ita just so hard to fish...where are the eyes?got one area is 150ft deep then theres area where its 10 or less feet deep.. it's hard to troll cause of this issue..my best bet is to jig for them if I could get away from the dang bass...see alot.i mean alot of chad..not a good sign but also a good one.either they have plenty of food or the walleye didnt make it.lol.the eyes got to be a real good size..4 years ago I stocked the eyes..I'm just gonna have to put the hours in this fall I guess....

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## Fishing75

I have a 1/3 acre pond, 12 feet deep, stocked 2 walleye to see if they lived, I know they didn’t die bc they would’ve floated up, there is plenty of food, at night u can walk across the pond bc of all the shiners, haven’t caught them in 1 1/2 year, I have tried many lures, live bait, crawler harness, jigging, not sure why we haven’t caught them, any suggestions, there is also plenty of structure in the pond, brush piles, rock piles, and an areator, any ideas are appreciated


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## vib-E

Tried again..but I did find a bunch of 13in crappie about 10 of them..









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## vib-E

Fishing75 said:


> I have a 1/3 acre pond, 12 feet deep, stocked 2 walleye to see if they lived, I know they didn’t die bc they would’ve floated up, there is plenty of food, at night u can walk across the pond bc of all the shiners, haven’t caught them in 1 1/2 year, I have tried many lures, live bait, crawler harness, jigging, not sure why we haven’t caught them, any suggestions, there is also plenty of structure in the pond, brush piles, rock piles, and an areator, any ideas are appreciated


As for ur issue I can not help cause I cant find any in this lake I stocked.lol.104 eyes in there.never seen floaters...101 walleye and 3 sauger I put in...never to be seen again.loltons of bait too..unbeleivable

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## Skippy

Just my 2 cents worth. If I had what you have I'd be stocking 50 to 75 5 to 7 inch walleyes a year along with 20 pounds of flathead minnows at the same time. I wouldn't give up yet. I also would say that there's still a good number of eyes from your first stocking swimming around in your lake..


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## johnboy111711

not all fish float when dead. if they die at a deeper depth and the air bladder isn't fully inflated, many sink. I hope the walleyes are there though!


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## Fishing75

thanks for that info, I thought all fish floated up when they die, would they sink if the pond is only 12ft deep?


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## Blackwater

vib-E said:


> Been awhile since I posted on this thread.but I'm gonna see if I can jig up a few of those walleye tomarrow....4 yrs in they gotta be a good size...I also threw I think 4 sauger in the lake 2 yrs ago...they made the trip back from the Ohio river so I dropped them off in there...
> 
> Sent from my Z963VL using Tapatalk


This is cool to follow best of luck!


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## Doboy

johnboy " not all fish float when dead."

FWIW,,,
So many of 'your' (everybody's) pond questions, can simply be answered with the purchase of a SNORKEL, MASK & FINS! ;>)

My Sportsman Club now owns about 1500+- acres with 4 large 100-250 acre stocked strip lakes,,, plus 3 small, deep 'ponds'.

I snorkeled there, most of my life,,, I probably covered every sq ft in 3 of those lakes.
Some of my observations;
We/ the club would stock thousands of white bass for summer time fishing , & 2 months later they would all be gone. I would dive down & find them all over the bottom, DEAD. We're STILL not totally sure why. maybe Heat?
Pond/ lake building?
#1 mistake.?
In the beginning, the strip pits were totally void of weeds & structure. So The board decided to plant aqua grasses. Oooops WRONG TYPE OF GRASS!? 
It didn't take many years for the crystal clear water to allow those 'grasses' to choke the WHOLE LAKE! Those healthy sun-soaked grasses grew all the way down to the bottom,,,, 33' DEEP!
Now, we couldn't bottom fish at all! We couldn't even cast! heck,,,, we couldn't even get a boat through the surface crap/ carpets in mid-summer! (lol,,, like fishing Mosquito AFTER a bass contest!!!;>)
& We had so many cattails choking the shallow 20 acre flats,,,, back by our overflow, that the lake would over-fill causing dock issues. The water elevation kept getting higher & higher each year.
#2 mistake? Then came $$$$$ Chemicals. Trying to slow those weeds down. NOPE, that didn't work! Just 'Throwing the money away'! Years & Years of treatment didn't put a dent in them!
#3 ??? Next came the OVER stocking of amurs,,,,, (hey Gary, was it 500 or 1000!!?)
THEY WORKED AWESOME! But, THEY ATE EVERYTHING!
The last time I dove down deep, I couldn't find a SPECK of grass! & NOT 1 CATTAIL ANYWHERE!
#4,,,, Now, in order to MAKE SOME STRUCTURE, THE 'BOARD' decided to drop trees into the lake!? WHAT!??? (Another one I completely disagree with,,, I would NEVER place anything in the water that decomposes). These strip pits already have 3'-4' THICK BLACK DECAYING MUCK ALL ACROSS THE BOTTOM! There use to be thousands of crabs, millions of snails & hundreds of clams,,,, there WAS zillions of baby minnows swimming around in schools. 
#5 ??? Now, the board wants the members to completely RID the lake of those amurs. (Many 4'ers. are being caught & SHOT) I shake my head at that decision too. 
I say,,,, keep tabs on the amount being caught, & re-place SOME per acre of water, in the other smaller weed-choked quarries.

Well,,,,,, On & On,,,,
I posted this whole mess story so some of you POND/ LAKE BUILDERS have some different view points of what to do,,,,,, & WHAT CAN GO WRONG.

BTW,,,, some of the walleye that were stocked years ago,,,, they ARE reproducing. :>)


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## johnboy111711

Doboy said:


> johnboy " not all fish float when dead."
> 
> FWIW,,,
> So many of 'your' (everybody's) pond questions, can simply be answered with the purchase of a SNORKEL, MASK & FINS! ;>)
> 
> My Sportsman Club now owns about 1500+- acres with 4 large 100-250 acre stocked strip lakes,,, plus 3 small, deep 'ponds'.
> 
> I snorkeled there, most of my life,,, I probably covered every sq ft in 3 of those lakes.
> Some of my observations;
> We/ the club would stock thousands of white bass for summer time fishing , & 2 months later they would all be gone. I would dive down & find them all over the bottom, DEAD. We're STILL not totally sure why. maybe Heat?
> Pond/ lake building?
> #1 mistake.?
> In the beginning, the strip pits were totally void of weeds & structure. So The board decided to plant aqua grasses. Oooops WRONG TYPE OF GRASS!?
> It didn't take many years for the crystal clear water to allow those 'grasses' to choke the WHOLE LAKE! Those healthy sun-soaked grasses grew all the way down to the bottom,,,, 33' DEEP!
> Now, we couldn't bottom fish at all! We couldn't even cast! heck,,,, we couldn't even get a boat through the surface crap/ carpets in mid-summer! (lol,,, like fishing Mosquito AFTER a bass contest!!!;>)
> & We had so many cattails choking the shallow 20 acre flats,,,, back by our overflow, that the lake would over-fill causing dock issues. The water elevation kept getting higher & higher each year.
> #2 mistake? Then came $$$$$ Chemicals. Trying to slow those weeds down. NOPE, that didn't work! Just 'Throwing the money away'! Years & Years of treatment didn't put a dent in them!
> #3 ??? Next came the OVER stocking of amurs,,,,, (hey Gary, was it 500 or 1000!!?)
> THEY WORKED AWESOME! But, THEY ATE EVERYTHING!
> The last time I dove down deep, I couldn't find a SPECK of grass! & NOT 1 CATTAIL ANYWHERE!
> #4,,,, Now, in order to MAKE SOME STRUCTURE, THE 'BOARD' decided to drop trees into the lake!? WHAT!??? (Another one I completely disagree with,,, I would NEVER place anything in the water that decomposes). These strip pits already have 3'-4' THICK BLACK DECAYING MUCK ALL ACROSS THE BOTTOM! There use to be thousands of crabs, millions of snails & hundreds of clams,,,, there WAS zillions of baby minnows swimming around in schools.
> #5 ??? Now, the board wants the members to completely RID the lake of those amurs. (Many 4'ers. are being caught & SHOT) I shake my head at that decision too.
> I say,,,, keep tabs on the amount being caught, & re-place SOME per acre of water, in the other smaller weed-choked quarries.
> 
> Well,,,,,, On & On,,,,
> I posted this whole mess story so some of you POND/ LAKE BUILDERS have some different view points of what to do,,,,,, & WHAT CAN GO WRONG.
> 
> BTW,,,, some of the walleye that were stocked years ago,,,, they ARE reproducing. :>)


Great post. I think that the moral of the story, and the predominant issue with many people (on this website, internet, facebook, ect) is that they are not biologists and do not understand biology, let along fisheries biology. 
As a rule of thumb on many of my posts I provide information, but shy away from advice when dealing with biological issues. Being a fisheries biologist was my second career choice ( settled on teaching Language arts). I am very well versed on Biology and my LA background helps me retain information from very complex texts. This being said I AM NOT A BIOLOGIST! It is beyond me how someone can spout an opinion as fact and make a decision or suggestion based on ZERO scientific information. I will step down off my soap box now. Still waiting for those eyes to show up in this thread!

Side note, the white bass that had died in the previous post may have died from either a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) in the summer ( they have higher oxygen needs than many other fish) and they are nearly continuously moving and eating. A lake of that size also may not have supported enough open water food sources. White bass are not equipped to hunt in the shallows as ambush predators.


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## 1MoreKast

From what I gather here, is that you can stock a lake all you want. But until that lake has the proper balance of oxygen, vegetation, cover, forage, etc...then a return rate may be more likely to occur.

"If you build it, they will come."


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## johnboy111711

1MoreKast said:


> From what I gather here, is that you can stock a lake all you want. But until that lake has the proper balance of oxygen, vegetation, cover, forage, etc...then a return rate may be more likely to occur.
> 
> "If you build it, they will come."


That is correct! The problem is what is proper and what is not and how you know these things. Use the KISS method and most people will be ok. measure oxygen levels and water temps in the late summer and use them as a baseline for what can survive and what can not. Largemouth, sometimes small mouth, cat fish, sunfish and crappie usually make it.


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## Doboy

johnboy, Right on.
"I am very well versed on Biology and my LA background helps me retain information from very complex texts. This being said I AM NOT A BIOLOGIST! It is beyond me how someone can spout an opinion as fact and make a decision or suggestion based on ZERO scientific information. I will step down off my soap box now. "

"Side note, the white bass that had died in the previous post may have died from either a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) in the summer ( they have higher oxygen needs than many other fish)* and they are nearly continuously moving and eating. A lake of that size also may not have supported enough open water food sources. White bass are not equipped to hunt in the shallows as ambush predators."*


THEY, the club's board of directors, HAVE NEVER STOCKED/ REPLENISHED the BAITFISH.

I for one, absolutely LOVE IT when a said 'biologist', with a degree or not, SPOUTS OFF, & teaches us WHY.
PLEASE 'spout off' more.
Thanks



(I'm getting old,,,, but through the years, I've had a million hobbies. I'm one that's gotta try everything.
lol,,, 'Jack of all trades, but really good at NOTHING'! ;>)
& Bummer is, I FORGOT 90% of it. Once in a while I get a flashback! lol, again!)

Back when, I built a bunch of ponds & small lakes,,,, I watched some of them 'grow, & then watched some of them slowly DIE'.
Too much run-off entering the pond,,,,, 
eventually too much vegetation building bottom choking muck. 
No bottom flushing drains, NOT ENOUGH FORAGE FISH. 
Too warm & lack of oxygen,,, 
a few just to start. 

*"From what I gather here, is that you can stock a lake all you want. But until that lake has the proper balance of oxygen, vegetation, cover, forage, etc...*
*that's when a return rate may be more likely to occur."*


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## vib-E

Let me re phrase that..never seen any floaters sinkers or swimmers....Bermuda triangle stuff going on..lol need a biologist to explain that..

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## Snakecharmer

vib-E said:


> Let me re phrase that..never seen any floaters sinkers or swimmers....Bermuda triangle stuff going on..lol need a biologist to explain that..
> 
> Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk


 Birds of prey?


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## vib-E

No walleye caught yet but I did get this nice crappie and several others









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## vib-E

Still no walleye but that 14in perch was fantastic









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## vib-E

Finally got one boys..









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## vib-E

I put them in anywhere between 7-9 inches and that one measured 18inches.seems like a normal growth.

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## Snakecharmer

vib-E said:


> Finally got one boys..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk


That is great to hear. Where there is one there should be more!


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## Snakecharmer

Bet you were surprised after all that time......


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## vib-E

Snakecharmer said:


> Bet you were surprised after all that time......


U have no idea.i was shaking when I saw the head come up.figured it was another bass.i bet the neighbors heard me yelling.lol.

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## vib-E

Got a good meal today.never been more excited in my life seeing that walleye.









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## Snakecharmer

Looks healthy and tasty! Hope there's many more in that quarry.


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## Muddy

Very nice! Those perch are nice as well.


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## vib-E

Another one caught and 2 got off at the boat.what I'm really wanting to catch is a 5-9 in to prove they spawned









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## Snakecharmer

vib-E said:


> Another one caught and 2 got off at the boat.what I'm really wanting to catch is a 5-9 in to prove they spawned
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk


How many did you put in and what size were they ?


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## vib-E

I put 100 of them in.this thread was started in 2015.they ranged in size of 6-9inches.first one I caught was 18inches and the second one was 19inches.i also fished the ohio river a few years back.it was winter and I had 2 saugeye and a sauger I brought home to eat.they were still alive so I threw those in there too.

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## vib-E

Hopeing to get some ice fishing in and ice my first walleye.still waiting on this lake to lockup.takes alot to lock it up being it's so deep.and the wind doesnt help.shall see what this next called snap brings.this would be a hell of a lake to ice fish.i got my spot marked with a tree.lol.

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## vib-E

A huge update to this post.yesterday I had checked my minnow trap I had set in the lake for 4 days.pulled it up and low and behold there it was.walleye minnows along with some bluegill and yellow perch.so they did reproduce.you guys have no idea how excited I was when I saw the tiny walleye.so those of u that doubted walleye spawning in the pit lake.here we are.oh man this is the best thing iv seen ever.lol.

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## Snakecharmer

vib-E said:


> A huge update to this post.yesterday I had checked my minnow trap I had set in the lake for 4 days.pulled it up and low and behold there it was.walleye minnows along with some bluegill and yellow perch.so they did reproduce.you guys have no idea how excited I was when I saw the tiny walleye.so those of u that doubted walleye spawning in the pit lake.here we are.oh man this is the best thing iv seen ever.lol.
> 
> Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk


Super !!!!


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## vib-E

I'm assuming the walleye have to be a certain age before reproducing.they are going on roughly 6 yrs old now.as in last years catch the ones I caught were I think it was 18-20inches.i didnt look back at my post but I'm sure that was close

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## Southernsaug

You are correct about Walleye have to obtain maturity to spawn. It's more a function of size than age. Fish mature as they grow. In large impoundments (in Ohio) with strong forage bases the growth rate will usually present mature fish in 4 years and fish around 20" or greater, but in smaller lakes with less dense forage I am not surprised that a fish would take 5-6 years to mature. Males mature faster, but have shorter life spans and average about 5-7 years, while females will live 7-10 years. Of course there are exceptions and these are ball park averages. Walleye will live and grow just fine in small lakes, but seldom spawn, you have an exception, but not surprising as a quarry is usually a pretty good habitat.


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