I think it happens 2 ways. Bucket stocking certainly occurs. There is just something lacking when we see a hole of water without fish. There are also rain events with fish escaping downstream or from creeks overflowing their banks.

We've seen pictures of tornados raining fish that were sucked up out of a body of water but I'll bet that those fish were in no shape to live.

An awful lot of hatcheries aren't careful segregating their fish. Gambusia minnows are in an awful lot of South East Texas ponds that were supposedly never stocked with them. In one case that I'm personally aware of, the owner talked to the fish seller who admitted that his forage ponds were mixed with both fatheads and and a "few" gambusia. We all know that we should carefully eyeball every fish that we stock but mistakes occur.

Green sunfish show up in ponds that are supposedly stocked with only bluegills. That has to be a hatchery mistake due to carelessness. Or possibly us buying both HBG and BG or CNBG and winding up with unintended consequences.

In my case I stocked my latest pond with BG and fatheads. I waited a year to add 3 inch LMB. Then a couple of months later I was seeing 12 to 13 inch bass. Ain't no way and I know who helped me but he denied it.

It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP