Hello Everyone,

I'm new to Pond Boss and I am planning on stocking our new 3/4 acre pond in a few weeks and wanted to get some advice from the pros. First some background info.

It was build last August and is now full. It has been limed per the results from my local county extension. The water is clear to at least 2 feet. I plan to fertilize on the 8th and stock the week of the 18th. I plan to go with about 750 breams (bluegill,redear and redbreast- 1 to 3 inches). Bass and channel cat will come next year. I also plan on stocking grass carps. I plan to hand feed for now. I have some good pond sturctures for cover etc. It is 4' deep on the low end and about 12' on the deepest. If I am missing anything or need to consider other options let me know.

Thanks in advance for all the great input you guys always give.


ODM

Hi ODM and welcome to Pond Boss.

What are your goals for the pond?

Welcome ODM.

Your plan sounds good to me.

You want the visiblity to be between 18-24". What is the color of the water? Is the visibility 2' because of phtyoplankton, suspended clay, or tannins(black water)?

Hello jeffhasapond,

I want to grow "good size" bream and bass.

ODM

Hello Chris,

The water is green. Looks like some of ponds in the area from a distance.


ODM

Since it is already green it won't take much fertilizer to get it to 18" of visibility.

Do some searching for info on fertilizing and make a thread if you have any questions.

That's a very realistic and reasonable goal. In addition to getting feedback on this forum I highly recommend that you buy some of Bob Lusk's books. Several come to mind including: "Perfect Pond, Want One?" and "Managing for Trophy Bass" (even if you don't want to manage for trophy bass I think this book is an excellent primer for any pond owner.

In a 3/4 acre pond, 750 bream maybe a bit much unless you are leaning towards a larger bass and smaller bream pond, but from the sounds of it you are looking for a more balanced fishery. If it was my pond, I'd go with the following...

This spring:

200 BG(bluegill)
100 RBS(redbreast sunfish)
125 RES)redear sunfish)

You can also consider adding 5 to 10 pounds of FHM but it is not needed.

Next spring:
75 LMB(either northern or F1)
Anywhere from 25-100 CC depending on how much you like to catch and eat them.

This should set you up for a nice balanced fishery with a good chance as catching some nice bass and some nice panfish for the table in a couple years.

Not sure I would start with the grass carp. I consider them the solution to a problem. Wait a minute. Are you having weed problems already?

Chris, I believe I will get more clarity as well. I watched a neighbor's pond clear up naturally last year after getting it reworked the year before. He just limed and fertilized for the first time last month.

Jeff, I was thinking about getting some info from Bob.

CJBS2003, I was following the state's (SCDNR) recommendation for stocking. They recommend a 10 to 1 ratio for bream and bass. The fish dealers tend to follow that ratio. Thank for putting those numbers together for me.

Dave, I don't have weed problems yet but wanted to factor them into to mix at some point. The recommendation here is to stock some before weeds become a problem .

Thanks everyone for the questions and good info.

ODM

ODM, I don't agree with that recommendation. The grass carp are vegetarians that need weeds to survive. You can actually have about 20% weed cover and it will benefit baby fish until they get large enough to be worth eating by the predators.

I think your "at some point" is a good idea but I would wait until you need them to solve a problem.

Dave,

I'm not planning on putting the carp in now but at some point when I see the need. I with you on it.

Thanks,

ODM

odm if balanced is goal, I think your numbers are right. cbjs numbers are more for big bluegill but would be poor for bass growth. I do like idea of adding some fathead minnows it will help bass and larger bluegill grow.

This board for some reason looks down on grass carp a bit. They are not a problem so why not a few. I also agree however with Dave some weeds good but grass carp not a quick solution once you have some weeds. It is about goals. If you want weed free pond and hatchery bringing you fish ok to get 3-4 grass carp now. You can add more later if you like but this is cheap insurance and you can get smaller ones now since no bass.

I prefer stocking GC early on. I have virtually no vegetation in either pond, but provide artificial cover and structure to suit my purposes. Plastic, wood, and steel never need herbicide.

Please note that my goal is large bream, so less cover which allows little BG to be hammered heavy ASAP is what I am after. If you are managing for large bass, you may well want your forage fish to survive in higher numbers.

I think GC do a job quick enough (for me) to wait. My first time, I put 7 into a one acre pond that was toyally choked with pondweed. They did almost nothing the first year and I figured I had wasted my money. However, by the end of the following Spring the weeds were history. That was 7 or 8 years ago and I have one monster left out of the 7. He seems to keep it beat back pretty well. Maybe too well.

Yes Dave they seem to be an all or nothing kinda choice. That is another issue as well. Problem is some do not like to wait like you and want results right away. The key to them getting rid of it was the fact it died back some in the winter so they were there to nip it at the bud. This is why I like a few (with goals of no vegetation) to be stocked early on.

Greg, what do they eat in a new pond? I don't figure you would recommend them if they would starve.

Dave it seems they always find something to eat, again 3-4 in a 3/4 acre lake, not many cows in that pasture. If lots of food they will eats lots if not much they will survive just fine just not grow. Look at it this way golf courses might stock 40/acre they do not want anything growing out of the water. However once the vegetation is cleaned out the grass carp still survive. They sure do get excited when they here the lawn mowers coming.

Guys,since I have to go with my plan B stocker (plan A stock won't able to deliver) and he has a great deal on GC I am going to put a few in now since I plan on feeding anyway. I think they will be ok. I am starting to see grass spring up around the edges after getting 2" of rain last week. I also will add the FH as well.The breams will be about 1 1/2" in size. Is there a particular size/type/protein content of fish food I should use? I see all kinds of small life swimming around already including a very health number of tadpoles and tiny frogs. Thanks for all the responses.

ODM