The "Zieger Ratio"

[Rick Z]

This is not something that I came up with.
Suffering from old age diease, it was Ned Kehle(sp) writing inthe "In-Fisherman" magazine over the past several years, that reported on this.
I tried it on several ponds and it seems to work well.
There have been a few suggestions to go to a 10 to one ratio.
MIght not be a bad idea as I talk to so many folks that are always catching one pound gills.
I catch 8 to 10 oz gills inthe same ponds.

Rick

[shorthaul]

haha Rick---i fished the AuSable with a guy that was a pretty good fisherman but when he disappeared around the bend he said he caught 22-25" browns but when we fished together we caught the same sized fish--6-10" ----hmmmph ---it must be me!

[Joe Hyde]

Rick, if you know lots of people who are catching 1-lb. bluegills, then I'm definitely hanging out with the wrong crowd!

I coined the term "Zieger Ratio" to describe that 7-to-1 harvest strategy because you're the only person I know of who's ever mentioned it. Certainly no intention on my part to disconnect Ned Kehde from taking credit for the practice if he's the guy you heard about it from. I didn't know.


Joe
"Better small than not at all."

[Rick Z]

The one pound gills were tongue in cheek.
I had never given credit to where I found the info on the ratio and thought it would be good to get that out.
Hope to hit a pond tomorrow.

Rick

[white43]

The "ratio" goes back to basic pond management for bass and bluegill, and I remember this from before I left the farm in 1961. The Missouri Conservation Commission has pushed this management concept since the mid-1950s, way before Al and Ron left the Chicago area for Brainerd and started In-Fisherman. Many farm ponds are thrown out of whack because so many concentrate on bass and pay no attention to bluegill. If I remember right, the suggestion was a dozen bluegill for each pound of bass harvested from a pond. Someone from MO can certainly check the facts if you wish. JGW