Bass and sunfish

[BigFlatBrook]

I'm just wondering if you could conclude something about a lake's bass population from what you observe about the sunfish. Hope this post makes sense.

For example, if a lake has a lot of big sunfish, you might think that the bass keep the sunfish population thinned out, so the survivors have a chance to get big.

But, if a lake has a large number of small sunfish, stunted perhaps. Would you think that the lake's bass population might not enough to keep the sunfish in check?

BTW, my sunfish sampling device is a size 8 gurgle pop (of course, bass like that, too).

[Big Bad Wulff]

That is the way I see it too. I fish a large pond that is full of 2-4lb bass with an occasional 7+lber. The only sunfish I have caught there are huge. I've never even seen a small sunny swimming by. It is a very healthy spring-fed pond.

All the sunfish I have caught are ALL this size:

Clickety to make picture larger:

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[Rick Z]

I think it is extremely important in the more northern areas of the country.
I have worked on several ponds to get the bluegill numbers down and some bass in them.
Over some time the bass and gills both get bigger.


Rick

[mashtom]

I have to agree with Rick, a buddy of mine has a pond that was over run with gills a few years ago. We have been reducing there numbers over the years and the bass and gills have been getting bigger. I was able to catch my first fish on the fly there last week!
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[Caribe]

My observations agree with yours. I live on a lake that has high fishing pressure. Although the lake is only about 300 acres I have seen up to 10 boats fishing on weekends. The DNR says the lake has a great forage base and a "healthy" bass population, but most of the bass I catch are under a pound and very skinny. On the other hand, I can catch 20 - 50 bluegill over a 3 hour period and all of them are under 5 inches. (I too have use the "gurgle pop" sampling method) I know many of the locals eat their catch (even the bass) so I have a feeling that the stumpy blue gill syndrome is in full force at our lake. When I talk to the older property owners on the lake they always talk of the good old days when the gills and crappie were big enough to keep and eat and 3 lb bass were common. On the other hand, my favorite fishing hole is an equal sized lake about 10 miles away. The lake is surrounded by $800,000 homes and has no public access. I have a friend who lives on the lake. I rarely see many boats on the lake and I have yet to see a fish get thrown into a livewell. I catch bass and blue gill in equal numbers with an occational crappie and nothern. The difference is that the bass average about 2 lbs and the blue gill and crappie are all "slabs".
caribe

[njsimonson]

Bass aren't the only good bluegill control out there! Get some muskies in your water and they'll thin the ranks of all the smaller gamefish. It's tough to come by any small pike like we used to have in our lake, and the number of small gills has gone down, and the number of big bass has gone up.

Predators, be they other fish or people, help alleviate stunting in lakes that need it!

[okflyfisher]

We fish one 60 acre pond that the crappie have stunted . This pond does have lots of big bass and catfish but the crappie have out reproduced them. Our State Fishery department does not recomend people plant crappie in ponds less than 320 acres because they are such prolific reproducers. We also have access to a
220 acre pond that does have some nice bass and catfish in it that also produces the huge crappie. We catch a good number of crappie out of this pond in the 15 -16 inch range. We have caught crappie that are 17 inches out of this pond.

[Warm Water Fly Fisher]

many many little gills, and perch in our lake. u will get a 8-10 incher rarely. our lake has loads of bass averaging around 14 inches. the pickeral bass and muskies in the lake stay healthy by eating the smaller fish. i assume the walleye eat them too. our lake is under the big bass program special regs. this means u can only keep bass if they are 15 inches on up. this has definitly made the bass population better, but big bass are caught less than the regular 14 inchers. i know theres monsters in there though...


WWFF