Was planning on picking up 400 N LMB from Overtons, but they don't stock fingerlings (they do have Florida fingerlings). Tried Danbury, same story, they said try Overtons.

Anybody know a source for top quality fingerlings?

I prefer fingerlings as I have a great forage base built and want to push them harder than a hatchery could.

If not I'll bite the crankbait and get 6 inchers from Overton. I am very happy with the FHM and CNBG they delivered last fall.

I would suggest that anyone who has a large forage base with larger sized bg stock yoy lmb and not fingerlings. Been there done that and had low survival with the fingerlings. There is another here who stocked Tiger lmb fingerlings and had the same low survival. Maybe he will join in.

Overtons went out of their way and found some 3.5" N LMB. Picked them up today.

They are now happily swimming and chowing down on fatheads.

Good to see I'm not the only one who uses these posts to keep a pond diary! It's so easy to lose track over time...

My situation is very different than yours, but Overton feed trained N LMB about 1 to 1.5 lb have worked great in my BOW. They've gained 1 lb since stocking last fall, and greatly reduced my overabundance of stunted LMB.

Also, they are an absolute blast to watch blowing up on feed!

What size fish to stock is the ultimate "it depends" question. You can have good or bad success rates with either approach.

anthropic I've done it both ways, but much prefer to spend the same amount of money but buy bigger stockers that wont get eaten as easily. For my pond I feel the "less is more" has played out....same amount of money...bigger stockers....means less stockers...but stockers that are much less likely to get eaten.

One positive aspect to using advanced size fingerling fish is you have a better idea of the number that survive to reproduce the first year. With 2 inch stockers you never really know how many survive to age 1 and reproduce.