Just bought a place out of Jefferson,TX with a 3/4 acre pond.
Pond was drained and went bone dry this past summer (don't know why it was drained). It is beginning to fill with the recent rains and has an average depth of 3-4 feet.

I'd like to stock it with forage fish ASAP! A well known hatchery that delivers to ETex has a special on forage fish and free delivery if an order is placed by 13 Jan. I'm wanting to place an order for FHM and bluegills. And redears.

I'm a little hesitant though as I'm not sure is the fish will survive a serious cold spell. I plan to irrigate the pond from an existing shallow well as best I can.

I had a ag lime truck spread approx a ton of lime a couple weeks ago, added 50# of cottonseed meal and 10# of 0-46-0, and that's it so far.

What are the chances for survival if stocked with 2-3 weeks?

Thanks!

The chances are pretty good of them living assuming: Have you had your alkilinty checked yet? Fertility and clarity? I assume that the fertilizer and cotton seed meal were to jump start fertility. That's easier done in warm weather. I'm a lot less concerned about cold weather than I am water quality.

I wouldn't be too impressed with an offer of free delivery. They usually come in bags that you can do for yourself. Actually, the correct number of fish for a 3/4 acre new water hole, only partially filled, isn't really that expensive. Go for it and see what happens. BTW, just how many fish are you buying to get the free delivery?

$475 order for free delivery.

Ouch.

If, and only if, I were going to stock this early, I would go with about 350 to 400 BG/RES at approx. 35 cents each. I would stock about 3 or 4 pounds of fatheads at around $8 per pound. Those are retail prices during prime stocking times. I know one pro member here who charges $50.00 for delivery of tilapia.

It is my observation that most fish stockers are wishing to sell out on BG at this time of the year. I talked to one PB member at the Hunting and Fishing show last Friday who recently bought a bunch of large BG at a deeply discounted price.

No matter what you do, I wouldn't mess with them before the arctic cold blast that is coming this weekend.

What quantities are you talking about for this "free" delivery?

Thanks for the input!

Special is on Dunn's Fish Farm website..

Dunn's is were I got my fish last weekend. As far as CNBG's all they had were 2-3" more like 1 1/2 to 2" I wanted 4-5". I am a little worried about the artic blast that is coming our way. Will it hurt my fish any?

Okie, it is hard to say but I doubt that it will be a problem. It isn't the water temp but the rate of temp change that can get them. Lusk tells a story of delivering fish to a place just as a serious hail storm started. The water cooled too quickly for the fish to survive so he hauled them home.

I dang sure wouldn't try to stock during the blast that we have coming.

Here in Okla we are looking at a prolonged sub freezing time. Maybe 10 days or more. I'm glad I got them in last weekend. I wouldn't do it in the cold stuff either.

Go deep and stay warm little fish..........