Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Adding Hybrid Striped Bass to the mix - easy?

My original plan to stock my newly renovated pond is for fatheads, then bluegill and largemouth. My goal is for a largemouth fishery and, while I wouldn't mine some "bigguns", I don't think I'll be trying to grow 10 pounders. After reading a lot on PB about HSB I started to think that I might want to add them to the mix.

Is it relatively easy to add HSB to a BG/LM pond and pellet feed them without upsetting the balance too much? Pitfalls? Potential problems? The pond will be about 2 acres with an average depth of 10 feet.

The longer you wait the bigger the HSB stockers will have to be 'cause the LMB will eat them. I waited and had to stock 10"ers so they would survive. They were running about $3.50 per fish.

RobA, BarO is correct about stocking size of HSB once you already have adult LMB. They will do fine in your pond, I'm sure.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but my fish guy gets large HSB once a year or so. These HSB are 16" plus so they won't be fish food. I'm sure my fish guy could hook you up as he is out of Harrisburg, PA.

PM me if you want his contact info.

Good advice BarO. Makes sense.

Thanks Sunil. I may take you up on that if I chose to add HSB later on or if I need to restock them. I first need to figure out if it they are easy to add to the mix and how much work/attention they require. The pond is 25 miles away from my current house. We plan to build and move there in about 3 years.

I added mine in along with the following existing populations: LMB, SMB, BG, BC, YP, Rock Bass, Bullheads, CC, plus assorted bait fish and other rough fish like suckers.

I don't do regular pellet feeding; only by hand when myself or my caretaker throws out feed.

I'm 52 miles from my place, and the HSB are doing fine.

To answer your question, they seem to be very easy to add in.

If fed and taking pellets (we have had some reports that if there are a LOT of prey available for them, HSB may not eat a lot of pellets), HSB should have a fairly minimal impact on a BG forage base available for LMB. They are not as effective at BG predation as LMB, especially if lots of weeds or other cover is present. Their biggest impact is likely to be their addition to biomass and the waste from additional pellets fed.

Hybrid stripers are an open water predator like their parents.