When it comes to growing big bass, management of your pond is key. There is more to it than just stocking a pond and waiting a few years to catch big fish. Forage needs to be readily available and the health of your bass need to be monitored. This week, we’re with Southeastern Pond Management as they perform an initial electroshocking evaluation and stock a pond with bluegill.

The initial electroshocking evaluation basically creates a map of the pond. It gives insight into forage populations as well as predators. As fish are netted, they are tagged to check their growth rates. Small pieces of their fins are clipped, which causes no harm, to check their genetics. In this particular pond, they’re checking the genetics of the bass to pinpoint the reason behind the lack of fish over 8 pounds. By confirming their genetics, they’ll be able to determine the problem and create a plan to fix the issue.

Southeastern Pond is also stocking a pond with 3-5 inch bluegill to improve the forage available. You can’t grow big bass if they don’t have an adequate amount of food. The proper time to add bluegill in the south is spring and fall or November thru March. These pond management tasks and many others are what Southeaster Pond specializes in.