Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations When to start stocking?

So the pond is done and starting to fill up. Probably only about 2-2.5' deep around the damn area at the moment. At what depth would you start stocking and would you do it in phases?

Once filled, the pond should be right at 2.5 acres and 8-10' deep.

[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/EZm72kNvTkU[/video]

You probably need to let it get at least half full if you dont think it's going to take much to finish filling it. Being that it's just filling, you'll have a lot of sediment runoff until your greenery takes hold on the shoreline.

Your first stocking should be your forage base (FHM, GAM, BG, RES) and that should happen this spring. Then you'll need to give them some time to get established, which would be till fall, before introducing your predator base (LMB, CC, BC).

All of this is entirely dependent on what type of pond you're shooting for, of course, but that's the general process most pond meisters follow.

Depending on where you are it could take many months to fill. The more watershed the better. Mine is full and it needed me topping it up with well water. Mine was dug in January. For that sized pond folks will tell you to stock it with minnows and wait until next year to stock with predator fish.

Yeah, a couple of pounds of FHM now will be gazzilions by fall. Take a look in late summer, see where the water is at that point and if sufficient, BG/RES, etc. this fall depending on what your goal for fishery is.
What types of fish are you considering ??

I stocked 4 lbs of fathead minnows and 150 4"-6" hybrid bluegill last spring. Pond was closer to 5/8 full on the initial stocking. By July I had more fathead minnows than you can shake a stick at. I stocked another 100 2-3" hybrid bluegill and 50 channel cats in the fall after a 6" rain. LMB will wipe out a FHM population in short order so make aure you have the bluegill establishes.

I mainly want to fish Bass, but will also enjoy taking the kids out to catch a bunch of bluegill.

I'm thinking FHM, BG, HBG, and Bass for sure. Maybe some Catfish too so we can enjoy some fish frys. Wipers look fun, but I'm not sure if that would be a good idea or not.

We live in Kansas and so far we've had a lot of rainfall. Unfortunately they just finished the pond and the majority of runoff was diverted away from the site. Hopefully mother nature continues to provide ideal conditions to fill the pond.

If I put some FHM in first, is there any potential adverse effects if I don't stock predator fish soon enough?

Also, would it be wise to seed the banks down to the current shoreline with any plants even tho they will be drowned out? I was just thinking putting something in to help slowdown or reduce sedimentation as well as provide temp cover for FHM and BG.

If so, what would be good to plant? Something that would eventually be good edge cover for when the pond is full, or just an annual that will last 1 growing season.

The FHM will not pose a problem unless there were some unwanted hitchhikers in the mix. You could put some pallets or floating boards out for them to spawn on. FHM spawn on the underside of things. Having some substrate other than a mud bottom will increase their reproductive potential, although they will find a way to spawn even without good substrate.

The more FHM reproduce and thrive the better start the rest of your fish will have. They will be completely wiped out within a year or two of predator introduction.

Depending on where you are in Kansas, I'd start with annual Rye with other seed mixed in but you sure want to eliminate/stop/prevent erosion.

As Snipe wisely suggests first focus on getting some vegetation established on any area that drains into the pond. This will help produce clearer water. Cloudy turbid water from suspended sediment draining into the pond suppresses all natural productivity in the pond.

I seeded my pond with clover and tripoloid rye grass. Where at in KS? Wallace fish farm if you are in Eastern KS is a great guy to call and talk to.

KS:
Was it triploid or tetraploid rye? I see comments online about both and I wasn't sure why one would pick a triploid (diploid and monoploid hybrid) or a tetraploid (hybrid of 2 diploids). I'd like to learn about these rye grasses.

Tetrapoloid. You see it in food plot mixes. Easy to establish and wildlife utilize it.

Eastern Kansas, west of Ottawa. Just a few miles outside Pomona.

Wallace Fish Farm did the initial stocking of my main 3 acre pond. Charles did a good job.

Hartleys is another Kansas fish farm. I got my SMB from them. They are at Kingman I believe.

Harbin fish farms just east of Wichita runs a very professional business and is listed in the PondBoss resource guide.
I've dealt with Hartley as well, just verify what they bring you, one by one.

Im not far from you. Im in NW coffey county.
Id call Wallace. Unless your pond has a small watershed it probably will fill up quickly if tuesday's predicted rain materializes.