Took my boat for a test ride today at west lake and fished for 5 hours 2 guys and caught 3 fish under 2 lbs but saw over 500 dead crappie, perch, cat fish, and small bass. It was like the place was literally dead nothing biting anywhere nothing on fish finder and tons of dead fish. Anybody know anything?
Took my boat for a test ride today at west lake and fished for 5 hours 2 guys and caught 3 fish under 2 lbs but saw over 500 dead crappie, perch, cat fish, and small bass. It was like the place was literally dead nothing biting anywhere nothing on fish finder and tons of dead fish. Anybody know anything?
That's odd. I did see one small, freshly dead bass during the MAFF tournament there a few weeks ago, but that was it. And since I only had use of my trolling motor I looped the whole pond.
Fish kill happens a lot around the time the ice melts in early spring. Obviously this isn't the case if you found them in the month of May. There's probably some type of bacteria that the fish have almost no immunity to that has swept over the pond. This would explain the black growths you mentioned. Either a bacterial infection o a parasite.
The pond is contaminated with cynobacteria (blue-green algae) which is toxic to people and animals. May or may not be related to the fish kill as it has been that way for years. Quite possible the bogs changed the chemicals that they use. Most of the ponds in this area are a mess. Once things heat up and the blooms are in full swing it is usually Plymouth for me!
^ that's a large possibility as well. One pond that I've seen fish kill at this year is usually super super weedy. All the weeds died over the winter, probably because of how long the ice was present, and there was dead sunfish everywhere when I went last month.