Freg,

You mentioned only 1000 gallons for this forage pond. If it's 2 ft deep, it is only 67 sq/ft. If so, the weight of brooder stocked is very excessive and you should not expect much if any fry production you can harvest. You may have just misspoke on the water volume, it would be very good to understand the actual dimensions of your forage pond (Area and depth). Given the small size, you may be better off collecting eggs that can be transferred to the main pond or hatched and then stocked as swim ups to the main pond. There is an optimum stocking density for egg production. You may presently exceed that density.

It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers