Prey Fish Management Programs

Bluegill and Bass

It goes without saying that bluegill and bass go together like peanut butter and jelly, especially in states like Texas, but bluegill are the cornerstone of prey fish programs beyond the Lone Star State. Bluegill spawn multiple times per year, even in northern climates, and produce lots of offspring. We love to maintain high densities of bluegill, and supplement their success using fish feeders and habitat ecosystems.

Threadfin Shad in Southern States

Our second favorite prey fish down south are Threadfin shad. We stock them as adults and they start spawning immediately, and at only 1.25” long those offspring start spawning, and you quickly get exponential growth. By mid to late summer, you have tons of Threadfin shad all over the lake. These Threadfin are a great prey resource throughout the summer and fall, but especially in the winter. When the water gets cold they die off, and are lethargic and easy to catch, giving your game fish a huge source of food to fatten up right as the slowing metabolism of winter hits. These Threadfin are a very important source of calories for your predator fish.

Fathead Minnows in Northern States

Due to the cold water of the north, we can’t use Threadfin shad. Instead, we use Fathead minnows. We often stock those Fathead minnows two or three times a year in northern climates, and expect them to last about 30-45 days. Our first stocking of Fathead minnows is done early in the year to relieve predation pressure on bluegill and perch, which allows them to get a successful start to spawning right away in the spring. We continue to come back and stock them in the summer and fall. One of our favorite parts of using Fathead minnows is they give you a lot of bang for your buck, which in our world means a lot of fish protein for your money.

Golden Shiners in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas

Golden shiners are just about as good as fathead minnows, but for our southern lakes that go through hot and cold swings. We stock Golden shiners in both the fall and spring, and are a nice tertiary source of protein for a low cost. They provide a meaty, high-energy meal that supports rapid growth of bass, and their schooling habits are complementary to your bluegill population as a source of open-water hunting for bass.

Gizzard Shad

We absolutely love Gizzard shad here at BWO Fisheries Science, and we call them trophy makers. When you’ve filled out the rest of the lake with your base species like bluegill, Gizzard shad seems to push a lake over the top and to that next level of success. However, you have to be sure to have larger bass in the lake to keep these Gizzard shad knocked down and under control, as they can grow to be too large for the bass of largemouth bass.

Fingerling Rainbow Trout in Kansas

You heard us right, yes, Kansas. We aren’t afraid to break convention if it helps support the goals of your lake. Fingerling Rainbow trout offer a unique solution to a never-ending problem. When bass come off of their spawn, they are exhausted, their fat stores and health depleted, and an easy meal is a great way for them to recover quickly. For those who want their bass to maintain optimum health year-round, fingerling Rainbow trout are a great solution to that post-spawn health. We stock them in late fall or early winter when the water is cold, and they thrive all winter long. When the water starts to get hot right as the bass come off spawn, the trout get lethargic and begin to die, giving your largemouth bass an easy and fatty food right after spawning.

Additional Prey Species

While these are all some of the core prey species we utilize, we often use other species in our prey fish management program for better overall lake and fisheries health. For example, Redear sunfish have powerful molar-like teeth in their throat that are great for crushing shells, and control snail populations in your lake. That snail control cuts parasite loads in your other gamefish, resulting in healthier, better-conditioned fish with fewer stress-related issues. Other important prey species that we have in our program are Crawfish, Lakechub suckers, pumpkinseeds, Longear sunfish, Green sunfish, and even Warmouth.

Fish Feeding Program

A Fish Feeding Program ensures that your fish have the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. We provide high-quality feed and automated feeding systems to supplement natural food sources, promoting faster growth and improved health in fish populations. We also will stock feeder-trained fish to supplement the natural predator-prey dynamics we will be managing for in your lake.

Fish Habitat Benefits Prey and Predator

Strategic placement of these habitats ensures that both predator and prey have the resources they need to thrive and create natural hunter and hunted dynamics in your lake. Whether you're enhancing a private pond or a public lake, our habitats are designed to create a balanced and sustainable ecosystem that supports both fish and anglers.

Electrofishing Survey - Prey Insights

An Electrofishing Survey provides a detailed snapshot of the health of your fishery and diversity, and not just for the predator species we all love to catch. It also gives us an insight into the prey species that are currently in your lake, as well as nuisance species that we need to remove and manage for. This safe and effective method temporarily stuns fish for easy capture, Our reports allow us to assess species composition, size distribution, and overall health and give recommendations for improving fisheries management practices.

Expert Fish Stocking

Stocking your lake with the right predator and prey species is the first key step to creating your dream fishery. Our Expert Fish Stocking service ensures that your waterbody is stocked with healthy, high-quality fish tailored to your goals. We carefully select species and stocking densities based on factors like water quality, habitat availability, and predator-prey dynamics.

Our team provides ongoing support to monitor fish growth and health, ensuring sustainable populations over time. Whether you're introducing bass, bluegill, walleye, trout, or forage fish, we use our Prey Fish Management Program in conjunction with your target species to guide your lake to success.