Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Adding LMB to my pond...Need answers ASAP!!!

Just got a call from a fish farmer and he has a few extra 5-8" LMB that he is holding for me...Most of you know that I have a 1/2 acre pond that to the best of my knowledge I have nothing but BG in...

Just making sure that 50 is the number of LMB I should be getting?..That is what he has on hold for me...Might be able to get more if I call back ASAP...

They also have 2-4" RES and I would like to introduce some of them also...I know some had mentioned around 30 adult RES?..With 2-4" is that a good number still?...

And should I get some fathead minnow while I am there?...How many?..Was thinking 10lbs?...

Assuming no LMB in the pond already and a solid forage base in place then 50 is the max. I would go with 25-30 and spend the $ on RES and FH. On 2-4 RES I would go with 100 if most are 2 in and 50 if they are 4 inch. FH would be good.

I have fished and fished it...With live and artifical bait with nothing caught....I had one run on a live BG, but think it was a turtle...

The pond is 20 yards from my house so I am at it everyday for hours and have never seen a LMB or CC when feeding or walking around...

And a reminder the goals for the pond are big BG and a place for the boys to swim...

No structure other than the geothermal tubes and floating dock piers...

Going to build some artifical when the boys and I get an afternoon..Probably just 4 for the corners...

If you have adult forage you are feeding then go with a few more LMB - say 30-35.

Awesome!!! And thanks for the quick reply...

Yes, I plan to continue feeding the BG...Being new to this I can't just look at a pond and say the forage base is ready...I can set a minnow trap and have 5 to 8 two inch BG in about 10 minutes...It takes less than 5 minutes for them to clear two 8 ounce cups of AM500...

I'm right there with ewest on his comments.

My situation is somewhat similar to yours OL. I put in 50 RE in 1 acre, I will be adding more if the opportunity arises soon. I see more snails than I thought there would be, and I just want to have enough RE to limit them as much as possible.

Called and got my order set...Had to get 40 LMB to get the cheaper price so that is what I did...Can always remove a few if needed (that is if I can catch them)..Also the RES were leaning to the smaller of the 2" to 4" area so I ordered 100 which was also their minimum amount...Hopeing to get 10lbs of FH's also, they are running short on them right now..

If all goes well I will go up and get them later this week...

Thanks for advice on what to do...PB ROCKS!!!

Good luck and take pics so we can see. Stocking day is always fun.

Thanks to Mike Robison and Keystone Hatcheries for coming up with some extra LMB for me...Was very pleased with the size and appearance of the fish...As for the drive to get them, HOLY MOTHER!!!

You going to leave us just hanging here with "holy mother"?!

We want details

Lets just day I spent 8.48 hours in a truck yesterday!!!

Mike has a pretty nice set-up in the building there doesn't he with all the concrete tanks? Been there a few times. There is just no easy way to get there. Roughly the same drive time for me.

The coloration on those LMB is intense! Very nice...

Very nice place and very nice people working for him...He wasn't actually there, but was great at returning phone calls and answering all my questions..

Anytime you have to drive thru, near or around Chicago, just as well figure it is not going to be fun...

When I went home on my lunch I walked around the pond casting a small spinner and had one of the new LMB on..I have been smashing the barbs on my hooks, so it actually spit the hook before I could land it...Sure was a fiesty little guy!!!

A pic of the RES...Definitely quite a variation in size..

I think my new LMB are already trying to spawn!!

Those LMB look like Flas or F-1s. What was ordered ? Did you ask their age? In the south those LMB could spawn in a pond without LMB. Flas and F-1s are southern LMB. Do you see where I am going with this? If they do spawn now it will have a bearing on your plan which assumed no spawn until next spring.

I ordered 5" to 8"....No I didn't ask their age... Yes I was hoping for a next year spawn..

Several were 8" plus fish and tonight had 2 laid up in the shallows with tails/fins out and water everywhere...

Only good thing I have going is my water level I very high and should be dropping fast with the heat we have been having... But on the other side of the coin the rain has been coming right along with it!!

Youngest hooked into this one tonight.. Looks like they are doing well for 5 to 8 inchers...

If they are florida wont you have problems with IL winters?


ref: https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/34/

It says 1 year olds can spawn but usually only if they are over 10". Do you see nests near the shore?

brian

They are pure northerns, I verified that..The activity I saw might have just been them feeling out there new home... Have not seen any more activity like that or signs of nesting... Fingers crossed, was hoping for a year without a spawn, but I guess I will deal with it if it happens...