Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Copper Nose BG in Ohio?

What is likely story for copper nose bluegill in Ohio?

Will they survive the winter?

Growth rates should be less because of shorter growing season but will they grow larger/better than native BG?

Mark, everything I've read on the forum seems to indicate that our winters are too cold this far north. When I first joined the forum, I read about CNBG and thought they'd be great to have, but further reading tells me they are not cold-water tolerant and wouldn't survive.

They would likely die. Even if they lived they would not grow to their potential and not as well as regular BG. Its a no win situation. I even had a few of them winter kill this year with a week of ice.

2 1/2 months of ice here, this year.

You're better off getting bluegills that are from your region. Keep in mind there are producers that import them from the south (not coppernose) for a higher profit margin. I and a few others are not convinced they will do as well farther north. Since I went with a local strain crossed with Condello's Nebraska origin bluegills I see less floaters come spring albeit it wasn't very many.

Fish from the same climate are always a wise choice. The trick is to find the best ones out of those fish sources. See if Bruce or Cecil will sell you some fish - that would be a good choice.

My intention is to get a outcross for a established 6 acre pond. How many would it take? I am assuming it wouldn’t be many to make a genetic impact over next few years!

Mark:

It'll all depend on whether you have BG in the pond now or not. I think that the recommended stocking rate for a new pond is somewhere in the 500-1,000 BG/ac. But, those rates are for fingerlings.

Esshup,

There are BG in pond all ready. It might take few years but a single additive stocking should filter though present gene pool.
Now, How many to make a reasonable impact over X number of years sounds like difficult question!

What predators (and what size are they) are in the pond? What's in there for forage fish beside the BG?

Just trying to get an idea of what size fish that you should be looking at so they don't become instant meals for the predators.

Its 6 acre 40 year old rather fertile with two large (2 acre total) of shallows, main area is 5 to 10 ft deep. It had a fish kill for first time ever in August four years a go. The BG was all very uniformly thick large fish before that kill. I’d say at that time (before kill) you would call this a large BG pond with lots of medium bass with nil yellow belly. The nice BG size had been consistent for least last 10 years. It was hard if ever to catch anything small.

Then 3 years a go with lots of minnows present (LMB, BG, some Yellow Belly Catfish) added fish (some mistakes I see now). Fish added were 60# LMB, 100# HBG, 100# Channel Catfish and 15 lbs of Flathead Minnows. The new LMB can be identified easily by their color and markings both native and new are doing very well growing. Some were in low 4 LBS range last fall. The BG really hasn’t gotten back to sizes before the kill yet. The CC are probably in 4 lbs range with few over 6 LBS wish they were gone.

There was one feeder last 3 years but it was inconsistent operating. It did have a positive impact with growth rates of LMB near it. There will be two good feeders (TH & S) going this year a long with another older two that might work all the time because of new timers.

I would hope to add some adult BG but adding a fish box to grow out smaller BG looks like feasible option from a cost standpoint!

If you had a fish kill in Aug, then I'd think I would fish out approximately the same number of fish you plan on stocking. That way you'd be pretty sure that you wouldn't exceed the carrying capacity of the pond. I'd think that it's a safe bet to think all the FHM are eaten already. RAH might have a good idea on how many fish you'd need to significantly change the genetic make-up of the BG in the pond, but I'd guess at having to change at least 25% of the population, if not more.

ewest, Bill, Dave? any ideas??

Mark you know my thoughts from the PM. Go with local bluegil not CNBG.

First, I would not add CNBG. I pretty much stay local with bg and sf. One reason is cost, but more importantly I want continuing self sustaining populations. I don't use hydrid bg or sf either. I do like FLA LMB, but they are proven survivors once they acclimate to colder waters.

I'd start taking those cats out. All of them. Once they get that size they will eat up all other fishes food and throw things out of balance. Whenever I plant cc in a pond I tell the owners, of course you are going to catch those out and eat them before they get big, right? If they want a balanced BG/LMB population. I might have a few albinos for laughs, but you almost need to get those cats on pellets and get them out young or they eat everything up and make your bass work too hard for food and your bg never get big. I think your pond is stacked with predators and lean on forage. Start selective harvesting before you plant anything, and try to stay local using breeder bg.

TPF, FYI on the cost issue I could bring Mark CNBG cheaper than he could buy local if he got a good quantity but I agree with with going local and that is what I told him in a PM he submitted to me.