Looking for advice from the experts here on Pond Boss Forums. I am looking to add some F1's this year into my 2.5 acre pond located in Iowa. I currently have northern strain LMB but would like to improve some genetics and hopefully get lucky growing a few lunkers.

My question revolves around being about to identify the F1's. I would like to avoid calling the F1's for several years if possible. Any thoughts on tagging smaller fish? Is this possible or how small is to small for tagging? Since I will be stocking the F1's at the same time, I was thinking of using a colored tag with the numbered end removed.
This would allow me to identify the fish and keep the tag size relatively small. Any other suggestions or ideas around being able to identify these F1's in the coming years? thank you all in advance!

IA may be to far north for good results from F-1s. It might work but also may reduce genetic fitness over time.

Some hatcheries will fin clip fish if they are advanced size fingerlings. Here is the archive on tagging.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=24354#Post24354

Anytime you are adding small fish into waters with existing larger fish you need to habituate the new fish.

Thanks ewest! I asked about introducing F1s in Iowa during a recent Pond Boss live with Bob and special guest Shawn from American Sports Fish. They both thought it would be worth giving it a try here in Iowa.

Certainty your call. Be sure you understand the risk to your existing population once all the genetics mix. See if anyone around you has tried it and their results. Good luck and please let us know the results.

This might be tough to do; depending on the size of the existing bass. A bass can eat anything up to 1/3 it’s size.

I would clip off one of the pelvic fins. Do all the F1's stocked this year on one side, if you stock more next year do the opposite side. That is if you are looking at just a fish ID, and not trying to track each individual fish. Much quicker, and less stressful for the fish. I'd be leery of using a floy tag in a fish less than 10" or so long.