Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations golden shiners stocking

Is it a good idea to add golden shiners to 3rd acre pond stocked with BG, LMB, GS, CC, BHC and FHM. Or is it a bad idea because of the size the shiners can grow to. Would the shiners have the chance to grow to a size where they can no longer be eaten or will most be eaten before that can happen

I'm not expert but I put 10lbs of them in my 1/2acre pond in september. I have BG, CC, LMB, and a few crappie I am trying to remove. I had alot of cover for them to hide and this spring I was confused when I saw a strange looking fish I had never seen in the pond before swimming in a school. Turns out it was about 30 golden shiners that made it and they were around 7"-9". From what I have read they are a good food supply for your bass but it can be hard to get them to gain a foothold in a existing pond with predators already. I didn't count how many shiners were in 1 pound but the hatchery estimated around 100 shiners per pound. They were around 3-4" in september.

In my opinion it would be good for your bass, and it can be done but I would do more than the 10lbs I did since I have only seen about 30 in that one school 6months later. But, let the guys with more knowledge and expertise give you some better suggestions.

Well said, TQ - I agree. A 15" LMB can accommodate GSH even at their max adult size without much of an issue. I would stock them with confidence they'll improve your forage base although preserving their presence in the pond will likely require supplemental stocking over the years.

Do you have suitable spawing habitat for GSH such as submerged vegetation or grass in shallows?

Yes I do have suitable spawning habitat