Grass Carp Advice

[Slew]

Yep. They ain't so sterile lol

whole lot of snipped folks running around with kids!! Them carp aren’t any different! I would build a fishing dock before ruined all the grass with carp.

[manwitaplan]

Curt,
No direct experience but we have a neighbor at our farm in Louisiana that followed a LDWF biologist advice to use sterile grass carp for his 8 acre pond and had great results controlling vegetation. That was about 5 yrs ago and the pond and fisherie are doing well.
Good luck.

Our HOA stocked sterile carp as well. Those things have gotten to be at least 20 pounds. Our vegetation issue has remained in check but we did add 2 more fountains to keep the water moving in the stagnant months.

[CTR0022]

Don't do it. I put sterile grass carp in a 10 acre lake 20 years ago. It went down hill and still hasn't recovered.

Depending on the type of vegetation I'd try stocking tilapia.

[rut-ro]

We have one 10 acre pond and put 2 per acre. They’ve kept up and it looks good. We have another 11 acre and a 7 acre pond we just put Talapia. They will die when it freezes but you can restock and start over. The talapia in my mind are not near as destructive as the carp however they will reproduce

[brokeno]

That’s why your fish are doing good and healthy because of your grass and cover. I wouldn’t do it either but it’s your lake. Once they are in your lake they are there forever.

[Quackerbox]

Tpwd biologist told me the carp in Conroe where supposed to be sterile....

[bloodtrailer28]

Tpwd biologist told me the carp in Conroe where supposed to be sterile....

Same thing in LA....

[Bassdeer]

Can you lower the water level once a year and bulldoze around the edge?

[curtintex]

Can you lower the water level once a year and bulldoze around the edge?

No sir.

[bgleaton]

Do you know what type of grass is growing in the pond? There are some products that will target certain species if you want to go that route.

[BrandonA]

We stocked some but well under the recommended amount. I don't think we will stock anymore. I would rather deal the grass and spot treat it as needed than have no grass. TPWD ruined lake austin and I don't want to do that to our lake.

[ChrisB]

I would just spray an area for bank fishing and leave the rest alone if its not choking off the pond.

[CBHunter]

Yep, Lake Austin used to be one of the best bass lakes in TX and now it sucks! Those were supposed to be sterile carp too...

[SCHC]

If you are going to duck hunt that water, don’t do it. It will become a barren waste land.

[Big pig]

Lots of good information and few good assumptions. For Clarity: According to TPWD ratios, my lake can support 120 Grass Carp. I asked for 100 in my permit and it was approved. My biologist is recommending starting with 60. These are STERILE grass carp.

I would seriously consider fewer carp, some tilapia and treating the grass as per a pond management expert advice in a few fishing areas.
I went to a county seminar recently and learned a lot in a few minutes.

Our carp are easy to remove. I see them all the time. A bow hunting opportunity.