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Pond harvest #11591659 05/09/16 04:51 PM
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BarG Offline OP
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I was reading an article that indicated 10-20% of bass will die within a week of catch and release fishing. So if I catch 200lbs of bass I can expect 20-40lbs of bass to die. My pond is only about 3 acres so 20-40lbs of harvest is fairly considerable.

Do y'all account for this amount when considering how many/much bass to harvest from your ponds?

Re: Pond harvest [Re: BarG] #11592879 05/10/16 12:22 AM
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salex Online Content
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I have never heard those figures. Can you share the link to the article?

Of course there is mortality from angling. But 10% to 20% of the bass caught seems very high.


Steve Alexander
salexander@privatewaterfishing.com
www.privatewaterfishing.com

Re: Pond harvest [Re: BarG] #11593090 05/10/16 01:35 AM
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Meadowlark Offline
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Using absolute angling mortality numbers from just about any source to drive your pond bass harvesting is at best questionable, IMO.

First, it all depends...on time of year, water temps, DO, the type of tackle, the type of bait (lures), and certainly not least of all, the abilities/knowledge of the angler with respect to handling fish.

Secondly, a far more effective measure of the "State of the Pond" bass would be relative weights. Use them to determine how many and what size bass need to be removed, if any, and you will be far ahead of any predictive strategy based on angling mortality. Listen to what the pond tells you and react accordingly.

Re: Pond harvest [Re: Meadowlark] #11593806 05/10/16 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted By: Meadowlark
Listen to what the pond tells you and react accordingly.


This is the absolute best way to self manage a pond. Low relative weights indicate excess competition (or low forage), so harvest is in order. There are several websites and articles out there that give the equation for relative weight. The easier method would be to download the Pond King App available in apple app store. The app has a section where you simply enter the length and weight to get an instant relative weight reading. Of course the ideal relative weight is 100%, but catch several fish out of the pond to determine your average before harvesting. If the weights are low then harvest bass that are on the bottom side of your average relative weight.

Furthermore, angling mortality should not be calculated into the harvest rates, because as mentioned by Meadowlark, angling mortality is highly dependent on to many factors to be an absolute. Personally, if I was having an issue with fish swallowing the hook, or simply not doing well after being caught, I would limit angling by inexperienced people, smash the barbs on all moving baits (spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwaters), and use a net to bring the fish out of the water rather than hoist them up on the line. Those are just several practices that aid in healthy return of fish.

Re: Pond harvest [Re: BarG] #11594078 05/10/16 03:50 PM
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Re: Pond harvest [Re: BarG] #11596294 05/11/16 02:28 PM
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10 to 20% mortality on released fish seems reasonable. As mentioned previously, there are variables involved. Time out of water, excess stress, and complications with removing the hook are just a few. Sometimes, the fish will be measured and weighed with photos taken which will require more handling and stress. I've been guilty at times of mishandling released fish and noticed how lethargic they appeared when returned to the water.

Re: Pond harvest [Re: Bill77] #11596640 05/11/16 04:24 PM
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Been awhile but did my own study.

C&R mortality is affected more by fisherman education than any other factor.

Use proper handling technique and mortality is well under 4%, which was the maximum I found when done properly.

The worst thing you can do is extract a deep hook that won't come out easily. That results in about 80% mortality. Leaving a deep hook in results in about 20% mortality.

But when it comes to harvesting a closed system, you can't use something that is so subjective for decision making. Look at the fish like the guys above have said.

Re: Pond harvest [Re: BarG] #11596871 05/11/16 06:03 PM
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Thanks for the responses. Yes I use relative weight charts when evaluating what I am catching. I even sex most of the bass I catch in the spring. I understand about raising forage and limiting competition for the bass. I tend to be the type of person that consumes as much information about a subject because I enjoy it and it's just my personality type. This is how I came to think about C&R mortality. I don't think I would use this soley to drive my harvest decisions but just another variable to ponder. The following paragraph is what got me thinking about whether I should consider this.

A study examining a striped bass catch-and-release fishery on the Roanoke River, North Carolina determined the mortality rate of released fish to be 6.4%. Because of high levels of fishing effort and high catch rates in this fishery, this relatively low mortality rate accounted for 46% of the allowable annual harvest for that river.
Therefore, the mortality rate of the released fish, even if it is low, must be considered as part of total fishing mortality to properly manage a fishery.

Re: Pond harvest [Re: Fishbreeder] #11597704 05/11/16 11:59 PM
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Originally Posted By: Fishbreeder
Been awhile but did my own study.

...


That's the best kind and 4% is about max for me also...except in August when the rate increases a good bit....on some fish more than others.

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