Fisheries Management Best Practices
Finding the right balance of predator to prey fish species in your lake or pond will be a continuing part of any successful fisheries management program. Our fisheries biologists can recommend which forage fish meet the needs of your predators. An unbalanced predator to prey ratio is one of the most common issues with fish communities. Predators have the tendency to overpopulate and overwhelm the baitfish. Once most of the forage base is consumed, predator growth rates slow and health begins to diminish.
Why do you need a predator to prey management plan?
Listen to expert Vic DiCenzo, PhD explain.
A balanced fishery needs to have a management plan that takes predator harvest into consideration. A proactive predator harvest program is a management strategy that allows you to stay one step ahead of the potential problems your pond will face. Using an electrofishing boat, seine, trap nets or through angling, excess predators can be removed annually.
Looking at the long-term picture and the costs associated with lake and pond management, it should be a primary goal to proactively manage the fishery through means determined by annual assessments of your predator to prey ratios.
Need help perfecting the predator to prey ratios in your lake or pond? Contact the fisheries management experts at SOLitude Lake Management.