Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations pond management-fish stocking

This is my first post on this site. I have a 9-10 acre lake in central Illinois that we constructed, filled and stocked by the fall of 2001. The lake is fed by an active creek that flows steadily from now until mid-summer when things get really dry. Needless to say it is a very fertile lake and my fish have responded well and thrive in it. I have CC, LMB, BG, Crappie, 26 tiger muskie, and some grass carp. The LMB population is doing very well and is the primary fish we go after. My average size is around 14". I put about 20 adult crappie in there in 2001 and they are really populating quickly. Last spring we could catch nearly one every cast at an average size of 10". I am considering putting in some hybrid striped bass to help control the panfish but also to offer some catching fun. However, I am concerned about the effect of this on my LMB. I'm looking for suggestions on how many per acre to stock and if I should also stock fatheads when I do. I put 180 lbs. of fatheads in when I stocked in 2001 but haven't stocked any more since. Any guidance would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Ken

Putting in FHM now would be providing an expensive snack for the LMB and Crappie. With your mature predator load, they would probably not survive long enough to spawn in any significant numbers.

Do you feed pelleted food now, and have you considered feeding after stocking HSB? They take pellets well, and 1) would have less of an impact on your LMB population and 2) could probably be stocked in higher numbers if fed.

Ken welcome to the PB forum.

How big are those TM at age 6-7 ?

There is a lot here on HSB. Most people use artificial feed to supp. their diet. Do you have that in mind or will they be on their own?

My initial concern is the HSB vulnerability to the TM and large LMB. You will have to find some big stockers I think. We need to get Dave Willis , Bob or Bill to add in their thoughts as most of us have no experience with TM in ponds especially with HSB. We do know that small HSB can be decimated by LMB and that as a result larger stocker HSB are needed. Further with HSB (since they don't reproduce) you can't play the overwhelm the predators with numbers game in hopes of having a few survive.

Do you have a problem with lots of small BG or crappie that need more cropping than you get now ? Can you give us an overview of your BG and crappie sizes and the pond balance situation? I don't think a few HSB will effect that very much. Adding FH at this point will be a waste of $ in a pond with adult BG , crappie and LMB.

Thanks for the quick replys. The 26 TM were stocked in the fall of 2001 (11" ers). I caught one in October and it was 38" and about 10 1/2 lbs. The HSB that I have located are in the 1-2 lb. range so they would not be "feed". My thoughts were to also stock some fatheads at this time and yes I would be using artificial feed. In 2001 we stocked 1500 2" BG and 500 HBG and they are 7-8" now. I haven't fished for them much so I really don't have a good assessment on the numbers in their year classes. The crappie, as I mentioned, have taken off. Last spring two of us harvested 80 11" crappie in 1 1/2 hours and threw back at least 50 that were 7-8". That was all the live net could hold. We did this two times in the same week and it appears we could have done it all week. My thoughts are to stock 150-200 of the HSB. I would much rather fish for LMB and these HSB than panfish so I'm interested in them for the sport as well.
Thanks again for your comments and opinions.
Ken

Ken, if you're able to catch that many crappie, you should cull a lot more of them. If you started a crappie culling program, you may start getting some 14" crappie.

I'm thinking your tiger muskie could eat a 1-2 lb. HSB. However, I don't know if they would find themselves in the same areas of your pond (lake, I mean).