# Targeting BIG Pan fish in overstocked Pond



## BennyLovesSaugeyes

My parents own an acre pond. It's a shallow pond, but with a deep channel leading into a deep pool around 10-12 feet. It's stocked with panfish, crappie, LM Bass, and cleaner carp. It's a clean pond, not a lot of growth or weeds, Jones fish controls the pond. The ponds age is over 10 years, and I've managed to pull some HUGE fish out of there, just not consistant.

I am wondering how I can target the larger Panfish, instead of just tossing the old slip bobber and worm, catching 10 throw aways per one keeper (6+ inches)

any advice is greatly appreciated


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## PapawSmith

1/2" cork poppers on a fly rod just before sunset.(The fly guy's know the 'proper' size, I just fish  ) The hook is too big for the little ones but perfect for the ones you want. They'll all go after it but only the bigger ones can suck it in. It's also the funnest pan fishing you'll ever do, espicially if you own a three or four weight fly rod.


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

don't own a fly rod. but I have switched to a larger hook and had success staying away from the 3 inchers!


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## peple of the perch

Also instead of casting a bobber. Try useing a jig. I usually do good with the bigger panfish eith a jig and crappie assassin.


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

peple of the perch said:


> Also instead of casting a bobber. Try useing a jig. I usually do good with the bigger panfish eith a jig and crappie assassin.


yeah. i caught a few crappie last year on a twist tail jig


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

had a pretty productive day on the pond. Bass were spawning, so we just panfished. Still caught one LM Bass on a bobber and worm.

Caught around 75 panfish from 2 till 5. went thru 3 dozen worms to get the 28 keepers. Smallest panfish keeper was around 6 inches, largest maybe around 8 inches.

All and all a pretty good day. Switching to bigger hooks helped us stay away from the bait fish


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

if the fish look a lil wierd in these pics it's because they were all on ice for around 3 hours till i got to cleaning them...


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

took me about an hour and 15 minutes. But I cleaned all the fish up. I don't like any skin, or rib bones, so it's just the meat. Panfish alone netted a sandwich bag 3/4 the way full. LM Bass added a 1/2 pound or so.

here's the panfish, fish fying them tomorrow


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

the end result, and why I panfish in the first place


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## Bdrape

Try some crappie sliders from Bass Pro shops on a 1/32 oz jig.


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## bkr43050

Another thing to consider on controlling your bluegill population is to actually target and remove the medium size fish rather than all of the largest bluegills. This will help keep the numbers of the small fish in check as the big ones (9"+)will not multiply as quickly. If you do some searches in here you can probably find some past discussions on this topic where that recommendation was made. It is hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like several of the ones that you removed may have actually been in the medium range (7-8"). It looks like you ended up with a few nice meals on that trip. On an acre pond I would guess you could harvest at least that many every year without diminishing the supply.


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

bkr43050 said:


> Another thing to consider on controlling your bluegill population is to actually target and remove the medium size fish rather than all of the largest bluegills. This will help keep the numbers of the small fish in check as the big ones (9"+)will not multiply as quickly. If you do some searches in here you can probably find some past discussions on this topic where that recommendation was made. It is hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like several of the ones that you removed may have actually been in the medium range (7-8"). It looks like you ended up with a few nice meals on that trip. On an acre pond I would guess you could harvest at least that many every year without diminishing the supply.


All the bluegills in my parents pond are pretty much the same size. It's over 10 years old, That trip was the first time anyone pulled any blue gills from it. The jones fish guy said to pull all fish out no matter what, since it's so over populated, and during winter fish die from starvation. All the fish pictured where over 6 inches, the biggest just over 8 inches in length.


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## bkr43050

It sounds like you are probably getting some good advice having a guy from Jones giving info directly.


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

bkr43050 said:


> It sounds like you are probably getting some good advice having a guy from Jones giving info directly.


My parents got the pond prestocked from the previous owner when they purchased the land. It never got fished at all, and now they're trying to get the populations back in check.

Like I said, this past winter they had around 30-40 fish die. They called the Jones fish guy out because they thought they had a problem with the oxygen supply. The supply was fine, the amount of fish in the pond was not.


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## ohiotuber

I spin fished for for over 40 years. I fly fish exclusively anymore & fish a few dandy ponds. Check my recent post here in the "fish on the fly" forum titled "Some NICE gills". Every gill pictured is over 9" (Fish Ohio is 9") & the big boy is 11 1/4" long & 6" belly to dorsal. I have fished this pond for 9-10 years. I treat it as I do all 3 ponds I regularly fish. I keep NO bass, & when I keep gills, they will be under 8". All 3 ponds yield 8-9" gills regularly & I catch at least 1 or 2 in the 10" range from each very year. I release EVERY gill 8" or larger.
IMHO, you did that pond a favor keeping the gills you did. If you make frequent visits keeping that amount & size of gills, you could see an increase in size next year. Just remember to release the largest gills...they will be your "gene pool" for the future.
BTW, all the gills pictured in my post were caught on flies I tied on size 12 hooks.
Good luck,
Mike


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## chaunc

If you haven't already tried, try using a #5 shadrap. I've caught some very nice crappies and an occasional walleye on them at shenango.


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

chaunc said:


> If you haven't already tried, try using a #5 shadrap. I've caught some very nice crappies and an occasional walleye on them at shenango.


nice fish. I'll toss a shad rap in a pool now and again on the scioto, hoping to lure some saugeyes out. Had mixed sucess this year. but I know the lure produces, just haven't found the spots yet.

where's shenango at???


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## chaunc

Its just across the PA line, about 25 minutes from Mosquito lake. Great crappie lake.


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## BennyLovesSaugeyes

that's a distance from me. I'm in central ohio. Delaware and Alum produce the most crappies around here. Mostly on jigs and minnows.


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## chaunc

I fished Delaware this spring in the OGF tourney. First time ever on that lake and finished in 10th place. I was hopeing to get to Indian Lake this week but those plans fell thru. Maybe early next month i'll get the chance. I'd like to try for saugeyes as i've never targeted them before.


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