Trophy Fish Stories and Your Pond
A trophy fish is a beautiful thing to have in your pond. Anyone who loves to fish will probably have hundreds of fishing stories throughout their lifetime. But, of course, the most memorable stories are where they catch those trophy fish that get first place in a competition. As a pond manager, one of your goals for attracting fishing enthusiasts is raising trophy fish. Although it may sound nearly impossible to grow large trophy fish to accommodate your guests, it can be done. In particular, one of the most challenging fish to grow is large bass. In this article, we’ll go over some quick tips on how to grow a trophy fish.
Creating an Ideal Habitat
As with any other living creature, the environment around is what contributes to the overall well-being. The same thing goes for the large bass fish. When it comes to bass fish, they like to conserve their energy as much as possible when hunting for prey. One way bass like to catch smaller fish is by finding cover. The bass will hide within their cover as they wait for the smaller fish to swim closer. Providing enough cover for your bass will allow them to grow and thrive. In addition, they’ll be able to conserve their weight and structure as they hunt. An ideal coverage area can revolve around 10 to 15 percent of the pond’s habitat. You can use rock piles, hardwoods, and cedars. One of the easiest ways to add cover for your fish is to add a fish attractor to your pond. Outdoor Water Solutions offers a variety of fish attractors for your pond no matter how much or little cover your fish need.
A Steady Stream of Feed
A feeding program is another ideal way to grow your trophy fish. Remember that your number one priority is to keep your fish on a regular feeding schedule. Always have enough forage fish for your bass. Bluegill is the primary preference for bass in general. If you want to grow your trophy fish, adding just one pound on a bass fish takes around 10 pounds of forage fish. It’s a good idea to replenish your forage fish by having enough bluegill that spawn in the long term. Of course, ensure that you also have supplemental alternatives other than bluegill forage in your pond. You can include Golden Shiners, Threadfin Shad, Crawfish, and Rainbow Trout, to mention some examples.
Genetics and Harvest
Genetics and harvest also play an essential role in how large and healthy your bass fish grow. Choosing a quality fish can go a long way. However, it would help if you remembered that harvest is essential to growing trophy fish successfully. The more bass you have in your pond, the more crowded it will get. Therefore, you can harvest the mid-range bass to keep competition at bay. By doing this, good bass will have a better chance to grow into the trophy fish you want.
At Outdoor Water Solutions, we offer a variety of pond aerators & solar pond aerators providing you with the options needed to pick the perfect pond aerator for your pond. We always enjoy working with clients on ways to improve the quality of their ponds’ health so, if you have any questions or would like more information on our solar pond aerators, contact us at 866.471.1614 today!
