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second edition • Nebraska Pond Management • 49 Generally, bluegills are the most abundant fish present in most fishing ponds. A good, balanced Nebraska pond will contain about 250 pounds of bluegills per surface acre of water. They provide the most angling opportunity and harvest can begin the second year after stocking. A good, balanced pond should also have about 50 pounds of largemouth bass per acre, or one-fifth the weight of bluegill. About 45 to 60 percent of the bass larger than 8 inches should be larger than 12 inches. In other words, about half the bass that you catch in the pond should be between 8 and 12 inches long and the other half larger than 12 inches. All bass less than 15 inches should be released for four years following the initial fingerling stocking. After that, no more than 15 to 30 adult bass or up to 20 pounds of bass should be harvested per acre annually, depending on pond fertility and management objectives. Greater harvest rates can reduce the quality of both bass and bluegill fishing. It is very important that the 5:1 ratio between bluegill and bass weight is maintained once fish harvest begins. If you take one 10-pound trophy bass out of a pond to hang on your wall, you'll need to harvest 50 pounds of bluegills to compensate for that. Given most bluegills you catch will probably be a quarter- to a half-pound in size, that's 100 to 200 bluegills you will then need to harvest. This is where many ponds fall out of balance: anglers do not take enough bluegills, causing a shift that will likely get worse. When bluegills become overpopulated, growth rates decrease and they become stunted, with only a few fish growing to a large size. When this happens (usually as a result of bass being overharvested), it is almost impossible for anglers or remaining bass to remove enough small bluegills to get the pond back into balance. Even though a supplemental stocking of 50 adult largemouth bass per acre can be done to correct the situation, it may not work. The likelihood of bass overharvest can be reduced by requiring anyone who fishes the pond to follow strict harvest rules. A good, balanced pond can also produce about 40 pounds of channel catfish per surface acre of water. Catfish can be introduced into established ponds by stocking 20 to 50 adults, 10 inches or longer, per acre. The higher rate can be used if there is significant harvest or a feeding program. Since channel catfish will have to be restocked in most ponds to maintain their fishery, you can harvest as many as you want. Of course if you want big catfish in your pond, you'll need to release some each year. Plus, harvesting everything you catch will mean you will have to restock more catfish, more often. If you only harvest 15 catfish per acre per year, you should be able to maintain a good catfish population and only have to restock For every pound of bass you harvest you will need to harvest five pounds of bluegills. A good, balanced pond will contain about 250 pounds of bluegills and 50 pounds of bass per surface acre of water. Fish Harvest Ratio for a Balanced Pond Maintain a 5:1 Harvest Ratio Fish Harvest Ratio for a Balanced Pond One 1-Pound Largemouth Bass (1 lb.) Ten 1/2-Pound Bluegills (5 lbs.)