Pacemaker Fishing Forum

In April of 2007, the VA Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries surveyed 5 of our lakes/ponds for the distribution of largemouth, bluegill and crappie.  This was done to help us manage the fishery.  Another study will happen this month to compare results and see how we are managing the fishery.  Below are the results from 2007:

Largemouth......


Bluegill......


And Black Crappie.......


These results led the biologist to recommend doing away with the catch-and-release only policy, at that time, because of the overpopulation of small bass in many of the ponds.  The new policy since has been to release all bass over 14" and remove bass under that size.

Notes of the biologist in 2007:
Pavillion - extra-high bass population with poor size structure (overabundance of small bass) and best bluegill population/size structure (maybe ever seen in NOVA).

Cedar - Moderate bass population and good size structure. Good bluegill population and size structure.

Beech - Fair bass population and poor size structure. Moderate bluegill population and size structure.

Alder - Low bass population and moderate size structure. Low/poor bluegill population and size structure.

Tippacanoe - High bass population and poor size structure. High bluegill population and excellent size structure.  **Massive fish kill 2 years later and restocked.

Other recommendations by biologist: Add structure to lakes, add forage (baitfish), control the crappie (remove all of them),  thin out largemouths from ponds that are overpopulated.

For those not familiar with centimeter conversion to inches:
13cm=5"
15cm=6"
21cm=8"
25cm=10"
30 cm=12"
35cm=14"
41cm=16"
46cm=18"

Last edited by Curly (Apr-20-11 7:09AM)