Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Minnows, etc...

Novice here but what is the advantage since if you buy 1000 now the most you could have would be 1000 next spring as there is no spawning going to occur in the fall and winter... right?

Reality is a birds or other natural causes will cause some to die and what has been gained?

Has anyone mentioned the satisfaction of going to sleep at night all Winter long, knowing there are fish in the pond? I managed to get that one year with just a bunch of snails.

A lot of times I dream about my pond. It happens more during the winter when I dream/wonder about what the fish are doing under the ice.

You may get a spawn from both as they will try to fill the pond if possible. In addition you may get some growth and those fish will be there ready to spawn first next spring. Plus you will have fish there and not be dependant on supply and timing next spring. Further in the spring what you can buy will probably be yoy (hatchery not going to sell you its brood stock). The result is those put in now will spawn way before next spring's additions will. So you will have an extra spawn class and size. You may lose some to cold and predation but the risk is small in view of the potential extra fish, the time gained and risk that you can't get them when you want them.

Rcooked

Based on my own mistakes I can offer the following advice: Filling only partially and creating structure is a great idea...doing so after the pond is filled is possible, however, entails exponentially more effort and limits your structure options and placement considerably.

I agree stocking FHM and GSH is cheap and not a bad idea for several reasons:

1. FHM are cheap - $8/lb. You could buy 20d from a bait shop if necessary or trap them yourself. IIRC 5:1 ratio Female - Male is your target. Males are large, females are small - so go 5:1 small vs large. If your female FHM are gravid IMO you will most likely pull off a spawn and have thousands wintering over and getting a jump start in the Spring.
2. According to the experts GSH probably won't spawn but why not stock a few hundred to get started on next year? I stocked 250 in my pond and 1 yr later have literally tens of thousands. Great initial investment of $30.
3. Consider adding some pallets for FHM spawning habitat. They are free, plentiful, and easy to place.
4. If you only fill partially I would recommend sowing some fescue or rye around the edges of your pond - this grass when flooded in the spring will provide perfect GSH spawning habitat.
5. Even though your primary fish aren't in the pond, stocking anything and watching them feed or cruise the shallows is a very cool experience...it's a purely emotional thing - but Sunil and Theo are right, it gives you something to think about over the Winter and a forage foundation upon which to build. Even if you lose them all, it's a minor investment for what could be an important step establishing your forage base RE Ewest.

Just my two bits.

You guys come to the PB Conv and I will show and tell you how to do structure easily from dry to full pool. There will be a slide show/power point on that very subject. There are relatively easy ways.

You guys come to the PB Conv and I will show and tell you how to do structure easily from dry to full pool. There will be a slide show/power point on that very subject. There are relatively easy ways.

What no hand puppets? Theo said you'd be bringing hand puppets.

I'm looking forward to the presentation, even if you don't use hand puppets, although I really, really, think hand puppets would be a good addition to your presentation.

I'll bet Sunil has hand puppets.

I harbor an innate fear of sock puppets...a near cousin of hand puppets. Far too near...