Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose half F1 and half forida bass?

Sorry I am asking this, but I am still kind of confused as to what is what, and what I would want for my upcoming pond.
I want fish I can catch that get big....which bass do I want? Oklahoma here and we get cold winters, but not COLD cold (inches of ice and whatnot)

Thanks

BD, according to Godfather Lusk, genetics are sorta important but are not nearly as important as water quality and a strong forage base. Lots of us are regretting not just going with plain old Northern bass.

BD,

That's what makes this pond stuff so much fun to me...nothing is "black or white"... its all in-between.

My view, if you want LMB and you want them to grow large, and you would like to be able to catch them more than once or twice in their lifetime, the F1 is the clear choice.

If you want a game fish that grows large quickly, fights better than LMB, tastes great, and can be completely controlled in terms of numbers in your pond, you should consider the HSB.

That's what I'm doing and George and probably several others....we are moving toward a "put and take" HSB fishery in which we can forever eliminate the problems of stunting LMB and uncatchable LMB and LMB that must be caught, etc. Maybe we will fail, for sure we will make mistakes, but hell we are having a Ball!

One thing for sure, if someone tells you they have all the answers, you better run from that person because he/she doesn't know what they are talking about. Much about ponds and the fish we place in them has not yet been discovered...in spite of what some textbooks or experts would have you believe. Show me a book on LMB management that has a chapter in it on Tilapia...and yet Tilapia may be one of the greatest pond management tools available to the small pond owner. Texas A&M, no less the recognized source for knowledge on ponds in Texas, conducts a so-called Bass 101, Bass 102 etc. course. Guess what...nothing on Tilapia...guess what they told me when asked about Tilapia...something like "well we don't recommend them, but some folks have had some success with them"

Welcome to ponding, where the ponds (or nature if you prefer) control the environment and we are just passengers trying to find our way.

I had posted f-1's in the other thread I started, but I was wondering if I had it right or not lol.
Thanks guys, I might just use both (hsb's too) having those types of decisions on what to stock, is always a good thing

Northern might be an option too.
To many choices, but all are good for us.

BD :

I posted on your other thread as to your other question. On your question of F-1s or northern LMB based on the info I have seen you should try to get some local input as to F-1 results . I think they will do ok with the cold . If it were me I would use half F-1s and half northerns to hedge my bets as to both cold tolerance and growth/catchability. I would get them from a reputable local source with local brood stock. Based on your intended forage base {as per your other post} I would use 6-8 in LMB at the correct time. I am not addressing the HSB question , that is a personal choice based on your goal. Whatever combination of bass you use {HSB or LMB or both } you need to get the right #/lbs. for your pond . It is not good to overstock predator fish if you want to grow them large. ewest

This is true the more I think about it on not using 1-2" bass, after the forage has been in there a year....the baby bass would be to small to dent the forage lol. Makes sense.

Good idea on talking to locals, only problem is I don't know which hatchery is in Tulsa? Anyone know how to find out? I guess I could call the Wildlife Dept?

BD :

Hard to follow 2 threads at one time on same subject. About floridas , F-1s and northerns in Okla. see the following site and scroll down to Largemouth Bass. It gives you an Okla. answer and it was just about what I expected.

http://www2.luresext.edu/aquaculture/fishID.htm

This should help. ewest

Thank you!

What is the F1 cross? I understand the term but what is special about the F1?