Late Season Electrofishing in East Georgia

georgia pond management

Bass Harvest…..it never stops

The pond being electrofishing today has a common problem that not many property owners think about but something we see often. The lake was stocked a few years back and everything was great. Owners get caught up in the excitement of seeing bass, bluegill, shell cracker, and shad going into the pond. The real work starts a few months later. Among a new lake owners duties is bass harvest. The initial bass that are stocked in a new pond will be the best class ever.

Georgia pond management
These are the original bass fingerlings. They are eight years old at this point. When a fishery reaches this point it’s important that the following year classes are managed very strictly. Failure to do so will result in lots of stunted bass that typically range in sizes of 8-12″. People are often blinded by catching lots of big bass while the runts’ numbers keep growing. Electrofishing opens eyes to the problem brewing underwater.
georgia pond management
Feed your tech.
georgia pond management
Capt. Matt breaking down the fishery in a more manageable form. after the electrofishing survey is done. The bluegill population size structure is compared to the bass population size structure. This snapshot gives us a very accurate understanding of what’s happening underwater.
Georgia electrofishing shock team
After a long week of electroshocks it was time to hit the road north for some decompression.

If you own a lake less than ten years old your best bet is to harvest bass aggressively and add habitat. Shoreline trees are a great start as the are usually small and will fall directly into the water. Digest these two tips then make them happen on your home water.