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second edition • Nebraska Pond Management • 51 and not over 20 feet long and 4 feet deep. Use of larger seines must be authorized by the Commission. Seining may not be effective if submerged aquatic vegetation is abundant or if shallow water areas are limited. Once angling and/or seining assessment data have been collected, choose one of the scenarios on page 52 or 53 that best fits your pond's situation. Is Help Available to Assess Fish Populations? Perhaps you are experiencing problems and are unable to collect fish, or you have already monitored your pond for a year, implemented the suggested management practices, and things don't seem to be getting any better. If you are unsure what to do, contact the Commission's Private Waters Specialist or your area district fisheries biologists and seek assistance. They may be able to resolve your problem(s) over the phone. If not, they will likely conduct a site visit, which may involve sampling the fish in your pond, and make recommendations. The most effective way to quickly sample the bluegill and largemouth bass populations and determine if a pond is in balance is by electrofishing. Electrofishing is done by boat, so a pond must have good boat access. Electrofishing boats are rather large and heavy, so a smooth, solid shoreline and bottom is required. A water depth of at least 3 feet of water within 10 feet of the shoreline is required to launch an electrofishing boat. A sharp drop-off at the water's edge may present a problem. Electrofishing boats send an electrical current into the water which stuns fish. Most of the stunned fish come to the surface in front of the boat by the electrodes, where they can be easily netted. Stunned fish recover from the shock within a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on their size, proximity to the electrodes, and water temperature. Netted fish are placed in a live well in the boat. Once an adequate number of fish are collected, the biologist will assess the sample, noting the species collected, their size distribution, and their relative abundance. Depending on the size of the pond and the number of fish initially collected, additional fish may need to be collected. From these samples and angler catch results, the biologist can determine whether or not the pond is in balance or if undesirable species have become a serious problem, and formulate a management plan. While professional assistance would seem to be the easiest option for the pond owner, it may not be the most convenient. State biologists may be willing to sample your pond, but they do so on a time-available basis. Public waters take priority and electrofishing is most effective in the spring and fall. That means you may have to wait weeks or months for someone to visit your pond. You may also have to make some access improvements to your pond to accommodate launching a large boat. If a state biologist is not available, you may wish to contact a private pond management consultant. For a fee, they will sample your pond and make management recommendations. Contact an area Commission fisheries biologist or the Private Waters Specialist for a listing of consultants. 2) Managing Fish Populations By the fourth year after stocking, you should decide how you want to manage your pond. Do you want balanced populations so you can catch good-sized bass and bluegills or is catching The Commission's Private Waters Specialist or area district fisheries biologists can provide assistance. Specific management options are presented starting on page 54, including several that intentionally keep a pond out of balance in order to produce trophy bluegills or largemouth bass.