Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Size and numbers of Rainbows?

I think this was discussed a year or so ago but I could not find what I was looking for so I thought I would ask. I am considering adding some Rainbows to the pond this coming fall, most likely be in late Nov or earlier if the water temps allow. I am looking for wait gain and growth of the lmb in the pond by feeding them some rainbows. I would be looking for 5" because most of the lmb are in the 15 to 18" range. And I was also looking at the growth of the rainbows when feed by the TH feeders. If added @ 5" and feed daily, what size might they be in late Feb.(90 days) if some survived till then? And if I have say 30 lmb per acre, how many rainbows would you add to this 3.25 acre pond? And I am thinking $1.00 per rainbow plus transportation but have not priced them, is that in the ballpark u think?

I will also be adding some small Tp this fall for additional forage for the lmb and am looking for the lmb to fill up on them as the water cools which makes them easier to catch and eat.

I'm on the list to get mine in Dec. They are around 10 bucks a pound, but I'm not buying fingerlings. I'm looking for put and take, so I don't have to chase around ponds waiting for them to be stocked. I'll be getting mine from Overton's.

I hope to get mine from Todd but I thought I would ask here and wishing someone had experience with how many to add and how fast they might grow over the winter months when being feed 42% protein.

Wish I could help, but I just don't know

I don't have an answer for you. For both questions....

But, if this helps at all, stocking 50 2# Rainbows in late October and feeding them 50# of AquaMax 600 per 4-6 weeks (plus whatever else in the pond wanted to eat it) yielded 6#-7# Rainbows in late June.......

I had the diffuser in front of the feeder keeping the water open when the pond iced over.

You know, Tracy, I wonder if it's possible to get larger trout that only the biggest LMB can eat.

Like, say, start with 1/2 to 3/4 pound trout. Too big for the smaller LMB, but great for the bigguns. That would still be true as the trout grow, at least until they hit maybe 2 lbs in spring.

Something similar with TP, too. Match the hatch, so to speak!

esshup, WOW! that is some crazy growth on those Rainbows. I look at you as an expert when it comes to growing fish but again WOW My expectations would not be anything like that but I think if they were to survive until March first I think a 5 incher might grow to 10 inches and would be to large for any of the lmb in the pond I would think. I expect to have a couple or 3 lmb in the 5 to 6 pound range at that time, and maybe in the 6+ range.

Frank, I am not sure what a 5 incher would weigh but if they were not all eaten up fast I think there might be a 2#er by early spring.

Our water temps will hit 70 on some of the warmer days in late February, sometime around the 20th in an average year, been keeping those records for years due to being a bass fishing nut and watching for spawning lmb. And I am not sure when they might be an easy catch for the larger lmb because of water temps. But i am thinking they would slow down making them easier for the larger lmb's dinner plate And 50 or maybe a 100 rainbows is kinda of what I was thinking to add to the pond. Spending kids inheritance

Tracy, I was surprised at the growth of the trout too, when compared to the 1# trout that I stocked the previous year.