I always hear that FHM dont make it in a pond once bass are in, and eat them all, and I haven`t been seeing that many as of late, maybe they are just out deeper, but any way what does you guys use for a small forage fish once all the FHM are gone? I have CNBG, RES, and a few SHR in the pond but would like to have some kinda minnow for the lil fingerling fish to eat.

Do you have Gambusia minnows? They help jump start the small bass population , but lots of folks don't like them . I have them and like what they add to the forage base. Next your LMB will work on your CNBG YOY

My FHM are about gone now in my 22 month old pond. Still see an occasional small school. I had one accidental LMB in the pond and had to put in five more in April from 5-8 inches because the biomass of the FHM and young BG was getting too large. I still have lots of Gambusia. The Gambusia are also now in my new pond and minnow pond due to flooding events. I don't see any harm in having them. They swim mostly near the top and will eat mosquito larvae out of as little as 1/2 inch of water. The new pond built last December is rapidly filling with spawn of FHM and Gambusia. I think the small CC in there might be eating some.

I dont have them in the pond now but I can net some up because they are in about every BOW here in FL. They have been in my grand fathers pond long as I can remember so I know they will stay around. As for the CNBG there are tons of rice size fry swimming around now from this years spawn and some 1.5" so that should take a lil presure of the FHM, plus they are pellet trained

Yea i`ll probable end up adding some, didnt know if there was any other options out there

Tilapia are another option

FHM are not very bright in the presence of predators, they panic and run which often triggers a chase. Small BG on the other hand will go motionless to avoid detection if they detect a predator. There is a reason FHM never last long once bass are stocked but BG do. FHM do help jumpstart your forage base and do help get BG populations established.

not really in FL haha due to our hot climate they dont die off and it is against the regulations to have them in my neck of the woods

Shame they are good forage( offspring) and ain't half bad to et

I would use sail fin mollies in stead of the GAM's just as easily available but get about double the size and offer a much better forage for a shallow surface minnow. You can find them in most ditches etc... They are live bearers just like the gams too.. They are much less aggressive at eating new hatched fry also.

I would skip the gams if you can avoid it...Although I would not be surprised if you did not have a few in your stockings as hitch hikers...

tilapia are also in just about every body of water around you...they find a way. I have seen ospreys carrying them in the sky...IF one dropped a large female that was holding babies in its mouth in your pond then you would have them...

What about common shiners or creak chub? In the north here these are both doing very very well for me.

TFS are a possibility. Small LMB will be eating small BG.

Keep your CNBG strong with pellet feeding and you should have adequate small forage fish providing you don't have an overabundance of small bass. I do not know what SHR means.

Most bass management issues are due to too many smaller bass that provide too much competition that results in food shortages and ones desire/need to add more forage items. That is a sign of too many bass per acre. Too many bass per acre can be beneficial depending on ones goals.

dinsmoreoutdoors,
I saw tilapia in the everglades national park last month... Someone didn't get the message about not having them!!!

Blue Tilapia are in just about every natural water body throughout the state of FL. Brackish and fresh

And its that very reason why if you get caught with live Tilapia with you by FWC (game warden) your gonna have anice fine to pay. they are taking over FL and they are all in the river. Alot of folks bow fish for them

I added a couple dozen Golden Shiners, but plan to get some more. and from time to time add shad when the bass get bigger for supplement food since I know they wont last long in a 1 acre pond.

A few years ago, a neighbor of mine had gizzard shad get into his 3 acre dug out pond by swimming up the spillway from a large creek about 1/2 mile away during a heavy rainstorm. Since then, they have caught large LMB up to 11 pounds.

Alot of folks on here are telling me the shad wont make it in my pond because of its size ( 1 acre) but man I would love for that to be the case, we will see when I add the threadfins, if they dont make it oh well just that much more food my bass got to eat to make them bigger!