Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Minnows, etc...

Rcooked

Based on my own mistakes I can offer the following advice: Filling only partially and creating structure is a great idea...doing so after the pond is filled is possible, however, entails exponentially more effort and limits your structure options and placement considerably.

I agree stocking FHM and GSH is cheap and not a bad idea for several reasons:

1. FHM are cheap - $8/lb. You could buy 20d from a bait shop if necessary or trap them yourself. IIRC 5:1 ratio Female - Male is your target. Males are large, females are small - so go 5:1 small vs large. If your female FHM are gravid IMO you will most likely pull off a spawn and have thousands wintering over and getting a jump start in the Spring.
2. According to the experts GSH probably won't spawn but why not stock a few hundred to get started on next year? I stocked 250 in my pond and 1 yr later have literally tens of thousands. Great initial investment of $30.
3. Consider adding some pallets for FHM spawning habitat. They are free, plentiful, and easy to place.
4. If you only fill partially I would recommend sowing some fescue or rye around the edges of your pond - this grass when flooded in the spring will provide perfect GSH spawning habitat.
5. Even though your primary fish aren't in the pond, stocking anything and watching them feed or cruise the shallows is a very cool experience...it's a purely emotional thing - but Sunil and Theo are right, it gives you something to think about over the Winter and a forage foundation upon which to build. Even if you lose them all, it's a minor investment for what could be an important step establishing your forage base RE Ewest.

Just my two bits.