Just curious as to the advantages vs the disadvantages of spring vs fall stocking.
Background: New 1.5 acre pond in 2016. 15 ft max depth average about 5 ft. Added 10 lb of FHM August 2016. Added 1000 1"-2" BG, 500 1"-2" RES & an additional 15 lb of FHM April 2017. Plans were to add 150 LMB in spring of 2018.
Ok i'll kind of take a shot at this. No expert here but will give you my 2 cents worth anyway.
Cons. Fall stocking come spring time your bass may be big enough already to maybe spawn. Now depending on your goals that could be a pro or a con.
Con your taking 6 months of baby making from all your other fish to help feed your bass if you stock in the fall. And trust me they will eat, eat, eat!!!
Pros. Your bass will be bigger come spring time thats really the only pro I can think of. Wait fun to catch once they are in the pond. That's about it.
But IMO 150 bass is to many, before you know they have a good spawn and BOOM you got all kinds of bass everywhere. I would go with more like 75 to 100. Go more for quality not quantity, but that's just me.
RC
What are your goals ? What size LMB were you going to add in spring vs fall? 2018 may be very late to add LMB in your location.
Looking for a balance, between bluegill & bass. I realize this is like walking a tightrope. Not for sure about bass size, but I would assume it would be in the 1" to 3" size. If I waited until fall of 2018, could possibly consider larger.
They will grow VERY slow through the winter in cold water. From what I read, there is just more bad than good unless you can put them out several months before the water turns cold. They grow something like 14x faster in warmer water. I would wait and avoid feeding GBH or other critters. The less time they are in there as small fish, the better their chances.
Another thing to is. If you stock 1 inch bass if your BG are big enough they will try to eat them. I have BG that will hammer smaller minnows these days.... So I would go with the bigger the better mentality with the LMB. Like 3 inch on up to 8 inch. If you can. It's amazing what a BG will try to eat when it's hungry. I have had some 9 inch BG hit my 5 inch zoom super fluke... and 7 inch Bg hit my 3 inch meps spinner. So yeah just saying if you can I would go with no less than 3 inch.
RC
I would have been inclined to add the LMB at the same time as the SF, the smallest LMB available. As it is now, I would add them ASAP. My opinion is based on stocking one new pond and buying an older pond, reading, pondering, etc. I'd like to hear what's wrong with my line of thinking.
That wont work IMO. Why you may ask well Your LMB will start to out grow your BG, fairly quick and LMB will try to eat stuff 1/3 their length so a 6 inch LMB will try to eat a 2 inch BG, you would end up with no BG or minnows or anything left. You got to give them a head start...
This is not an easy question given your location. Northern ponds are different than southern ponds as to stocking LMB and BG WRT timing. You may be in the middle region. Because LMB mostly spawn at 1 yr old in the south and at 2 yrs old up north the timing can be different. A corollary is BG tend to stunt up north more than in the south so letting BG get to far out in front of the LMB is a concern.
My best guess is to use 6 inch LMB this fall (Sept) and only stock 75. You want those LMB to be this years hatch not 2 year old fish.
Here is the MO manual. See pg 64-65
https://mdc.mo.gov/resource/missouri-pond-handbook
I stocked my 1/4 ac pond in southern MO with 25 BG, 25 RES, 25 LMB, and 25 CC from the first fish truck in the area. The pond was still filling. 11 yr later, I still have all of them, with the possible exception of RES. They don't come up to feed, and I seldom fished the pond and never for RES, so I don't know if they survived. The CC spawned successfully, and a few LMB got big.
I don't see any real upside. In the Spring you will still have baby sized bass.
When you stock LMB in May (as suggested in the south), are those LMB fingerlings spawned the Feb/March of the same year?
If so, how can you get fingerlings in winter? I'd assume that if you stocked in fall you'd also get the growth from May through October. So, it would cost more to stock the same number of fish in the fall because they are bigger but you'd have (at least) the same growth you'd have had if they were in your pond...
Does any of that make sense?
When you stock advanced LMB fingerlings (6 inch +) you don't stock the same number as you would 2 inch LMB fingerlings in spring/summer.
You have to allow for what would be natural mortalities. If you don't you will soon be overrun with LMB. Guessing the right number is no easy task.
2 inch LMB stockers for spring/summer stocking should be that years yoy.
Fall stocked 6 inch LMB should keep growing some over fall and winter in the south (MO ?) and be 10 to 12 inches and spawn the next spring/summer in a newly stocked pond.
The MO manual linked above has a county by county suggested stocking grid. However it is using old LMB/BG data still like many handbooks.
Fall stocking of 6 inch+ LMB sounds fine as I feel my heavy stocking of FHM will carry them thru the winter & spring. My only worry is that my April stocking of 1" to 2" bluegill get nailed prior to their spawning.
By fall your 2 inch BG should be 4 inches and may have spawned. The LMB will eat the FH first. Your LMB may or may not spawn next spring/summer. If in doubt add a few adult BG now.
Went to Logan Hollow Fishery & picked up 75 5" to 8" bass this morning. While there, I also picked up about a dozen 5" Yellow perch. All are pellet trained & I will feed as long as they eat.
Keep us posted on how they do.
Bluegill have grown upwards of 5" & FH are thick. All the bass will have to do is swim around with their mouth open. I don't expect much if anything from the YP.
Just an update. LMB stocked last fall are upwards of 12". They spawned this spring & currently seeing 6 inchers. Still have plenty of FHM. BG are plentiful & upwards of 7" Feeding about a gallon of Optimal nightly. Plan to start harvesting next spring.
Nice. Any signs of the YP?
MrM - Thanks for the pond update. Please keep us updated on a regular basis as you sample or harvest your fish. We need more good fish data from So.Illinois.
Sounds like things are going well. Nice when a plan works out.
A big thank you to all who have posted on this thread as well as those who have posted on other threads. I don't know how many hours I have spent, but many have posted helpful ideas over years of threads.
No signs of yellow perch.
Well, I'm out of food & the fish have slowed down eating. LMB stocked last fall are 14" to 15" & upwards of 2.5 lb. Original BG stocked last April are upwards of 9". Still have abundant FH. Don't have any observations of the RES & YP. Can't wait for next spring when harvest begins. My plans include harvesting about 200 lb of BG & 100 lb of LMB.
Well, I'm out of food & the fish have slowed down eating. LMB stocked last fall are 14" to 15" & upwards of 2.5 lb. Original BG stocked last April are upwards of 9". Still have abundant FH. Don't have any observations of the RES & YP. Can't wait for next spring when harvest begins. My plans include harvesting about 200 lb of BG & 100 lb of LMB.
Great work. Be sure to assess the ponds status in the spring before you start harvesting. You don't want to overharvest your original stocker fish.
Great work. Be sure to assess the ponds status in the spring before you start harvesting. You don't want to overharvest your original stocker fish.
I will be in no hurry & plan to limit harvest of original stockers, leaving the largest for brood stock. I am learning & open to any and all advise.
I have mixed emotions on continuing the supplemental feeding. On one hand, I want the pond to be able to self support the fish, however, I very much enjoy hand feeding. It is very relaxing & I have told my wife several times that I believe it helps keep my blood pressure in check.
Do what is good for your health and what you enjoy.