Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Rainbow Trout Question

I have been having trouble finding links or websites showing how fish farms spawn rainbows.

I just wanted to read up on it and see what all is involved in doing it.

Does anyone have any good links?

Thanks.

Are you talking about manual hand spawning?

If so it's really simple. There's the dry method and the wet method.

If this is what you're asking about I can easily explain in here.

But a lot of rainbow trout farms no long bother. They buy eyed eggs from a farm that specializes in producing them. No need to keep brood stock around and handle fish in frigid water.

Hey Ape.
Follow this link. Scroll down to videos. There's a video titled Ozark Rainbows. It's a pretty cool video on how they spawn rainbows.

http://mdc.mo.gov/fishing

Notice at the end what brand of feed was being used at the time.

James,

I initially made fun of that video. The narrator reminded me of health class LOL. However, that pretty much hit the nail on the head. I'm sure that things are a lot more automated now, but that is good stuff.

I take it that originally you never made it far into the video? You would have soon forgotten about the narators voice, and turned your attention to the hairstyles, and clothes being worn....I love that cap made of multi-colored denim!

I didn't even notice the hair and clothes LOL.

I was concetrating on the fish.

Interesting vid. I watched the whole thing. Things are a bit more "antiseptic" now.

Why don't one of you guy's plan on ordering some eyed eggs from Troutlodge or Aquaseed and give it a whirl. It would be a fun experiment, and am sure you'll have plenty of backup! (except the cash part)

Salmon in the class room is quite a popular program

I'm just trying to learn how it's done. My life sucks bad enough lately that I try to visualize all of the cool things that I would like to do when life doesn't suck so bad in the future LOL.

Realistically, if you could successfully spawn half a dozen female rainbows you could have plenty to stock your pond every winter.

Just a thought.

Obviously, for those of you who don't have ice cold creeks running through your property year round this is probably not going to work LOL.

?

"?" ?.

@ JamesBryan, I'm just trying to learn how it's done, so when I am able to use the information I can.

If that "?" wasn't for me, then disregard LOL.

What is the normal stocking rate for rainbows, strictly for winter forage purposes?

Thanks guys. As always, all of the info is greatly appreciated.

No offense intended there sir Apeman, just cant figure out since you've inquired about spawning of trout and the recomendation of starting our own hatchery comes into play. If you inquire about building a pond, should we buy our own excavators?

I'm not a dirt man.

I am an animal husbandry guy.

I have successfully propogated many different species.

I enjoy producing my own animals. Some of you don't, and that is fine. I find no problems with people that just want to buy fry or fingerlings.

I, however, enjoy the journey. I enjoy sourcing animals, pairing them, bringing forth that loving feeling LOL, and producing animals.

I'm a redneck/farmer/scholar.

If this isn't your cup of tea I more than completely understand. It isnt most peoples cup of tea. I just like it. You can peg me however you want. I like what I like.

Everyone has a pond for their own reasons. I appreciate knowing that I could create a food chain that was exceptional.

Hey GreatWhiteApe,

Did you know there is a trout hatchery in your back yard that produces several species of trout? I wish it was close to me as my taxidermy customers want tiger trout really bad and my supplier isn't interested in hatching them. I may try it myself in a year or so.

http://www.muskytrouthatchery.com/

Did I just read Cecil may try hatching Tiger Trout? Next I'll read there is world peace, no world hunger and America balanced its budget!

I don't have a problem with tiger trout per sei although I still think male brook trout in full spawning colors blows it out of the water. The problem I have is an ethical one ; about 50 percent of the fry die due to crippling and severe defects. I'm just not sure it's right to do that just to get some purdy trout. But my customers are begging for them...

I only look at the trout as food for the bass LOL. I personally wouldn't even fish for them. I don't care what they look like, although if I could get neon orange ones or glow in the dark ones they would probably be easier for the bass to find and eat so I would probably go for those LOL.

Cecil, they dump so many trout in the waters all over this garbage can state every year its pretty sickening LOL. I'm not a trout fisherman, so seeing 25 guys fishing the same little stretch of creek is completely lost on me.

It rather grab some wigglers and spend the day catching bluegills.

Get you some West Virgina Goldens. They look like orange popsicles in the water and stick out like a sore thumb.

@ Cecil

I was only making a joke, but that is pretty sweet! LOL.

I think that the bass would probably destroy them almost too fast. I guess that in an ideal trout stocking for bass forage situation you would probably still want to have a trout or two in the pond when the water warmed up in the spring. These guys would probably have all been hammered by New Year's Day lol.

Pretty Cool Cecil!



Just guessing by the surroundings that these Goldens are in the 18+" range. Some smaller, but most larger. I am being a bit generous on that.

Can an LMB pull one of these off?

I know a 42" NP can!

An 18" trout? Hmm...

Well, the world record bass was like 28" long to the fork.

It would take an awefully big bass to eat an 18" trout. I wouldn't say that it is impossible, but you will find a lot more success using trout that are 12" or less for forage purposes.

I was thinking that trout in the 6" to 8" range would probably be good to stock for forage. This way they won't be out of eating size even by the spring warm up.

What a good pre spawn meal that would be LOL...1 pound of trout down the gullet in one gulp LOL.

IIRC some of the goldens in that pond were pushing 10#. Those are his brood fish. He was going to start rotating his brood fish and asked if we knew if anyone wanted some that size.

Submarines... HAHA