Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Trout as forage option

I've been messing around with the idea of winter stocking of trout, for some fishing and Bass forage but wouldn't it make more sense to stock them in late winter/early spring ? I could get some fishing action out of them; then they would start slowing down with the warmer water, right when the Bass are ready for some late spring eats. Stocking in late fall, I'm concerned about them eating my baitfish all winter which I'm trying to build up.

If you're concerned about them eating your baitfish all winter long, then an early spring stocking would be fine. Using rainbow trout would also be a better option as brown trout are far more piscavorous than rainbows. What size bass do you have in the pond? Unless you have some real bruisers, you're going to want to stock smaller rainbows, say 8" or less... At that size, the rainbows really aren't piscavorous.

Unfortunately , some of my neigbors decided to tranfer some bass from a 400 acre lake 100 yards away. They stocked four 5 pounders and one 8+ pounder. The rest are in the 1-2 lb. range. Estimated 60 Bass, 1 acre pond.

Steve, the water temps need to be about 65 or less for trout IIRC.

Depending on the species and the strain, trout can survive temps into the 80's. Preferred temps are the low 60's with 70 degrees being the cut off for comfortable... DO is also highly important in trout survival.

If you're concerned about the trout eating too much forage, couldn't you just buy feed-trained trout and set up a feeder? That'd also probably help them grow to catching size quickly.

With all due respect CJ that survival thing at higher temps that is published for some species of trout is way overrated unless you're talking about some of the native desert trout of the west. I'd like to see any trout survive a temp into the 80's for more than minutes. If my trout pond water got to 70 I'd be expecting disease problems and eventual morts.

Not to hijack the thread or anything...but what actually kills the trout as the temperature rises? Is it purely DO content saturation points decreasing as temperature increases or something else?

As for the trout they should take to feed readily and keep them from hammering the forage. They should make perfect food for the bass.

Of course D.O. maximum saturation decreasing as temps go up has a lot to do with it but there is a limit. Trout adapted to cooler temps over thousands of years. Forcing them to adapt to temps above their normal environment is like forcing a tilapia to adapt to cold water temps. It just doesn't work.

I am thinking of trying this as well. What size trout are you gonna buy?

I was thinking in the 6-10" range,so far I haven't been able to find anyone around that has trout but I haven't tried real hard as I'm not planning until Feb or March. Can't say I'm too impressed with the fish farm guys here in the KC area. If they don't have what I'm looking for, they always tell me it's a stupid idea, will never work or a waste of money and recommend using fatheads (which they have). The last guy was trying to tell me, the bass will never eat a trout in the 6-10 inch range. Most of my bass range 2-3 pounds with a handful of 4-5 pounders and one 8 pounder. I saw the 8 pounder suck down an 10-12" Gizzard shad (skinny though) like it was just eating a worm.

A 14" LMB could easily eat a 6" trout and a 12" probably wouldn't have much issue either. When fishing for striped bass at Raystown lake in PA we sometimes use live rainbow trout as bait. Usually in the 8"-10" range. I've caught some large SMB and a couple huge lake trout using them for bait along with the stripers.

I am putting 25 6 inch trout in on thursday as forage for the bass. I will let you know how it goes.

Where are you getting your trout from Mike? What part of PA are you in? One thing nice about PA is there are many trout hatcheries to choose from!

Here is my info...I know the trout producers in western NC take lots of trout to PA as well.

Cecil if we dump trout in waremr water they do poorly but I have been amazed at how high of temps they can tolerate if it slowly gets there in the spring. We sell lots of trout to middle and norht GA and they make it up into June with ease with surface temps at well over 80, sure at thermocline around 70ish. I used to say die at 70 but think some make it to 75 easily.

In my ponnds lost my last one this year around August 10th. Water temp non stratified 79 degrees. I wish I could hold over the heat tolerate guys and breed them.

A 12 inch bass can probably eat an 8 inch trout, fusiform is extremely easy for them to digest. All trout that I know about are feed trained so keep them on feed and feel you lose little to rainbow trout predation. If wanting to grow some large one use aquamax and watch them grow. Easyto get them from 3/4 lb to over 2 lbs in 6 months.

I am getting them from Crystal Spring Hatchery in Lebanon Pa. They are delivering near me on thursday so I am just gonna go grab a couple.

Good deal... I have thoroughly enjoyed my trout over the years. We stock about 100 a year and feel pretty confident a small percentage, may 5-10% hole over...

CJ how is your pond fed? Mine is fed by a long stream from springs. I wonder if any would hold over in my pond. I guess I'll have to check temps...

My pond is spring fed too but i don't think it gets enough flow from the springs in the summer for them to survive. I am putting in a couple big ones to have fun with between now and july.

We don't stock the trout into a pond. It is creek... It runs quite strong in the spring but by June it pretty much is a pond as the flow drops to almost nothing.

CJ,

Cool pics! I wish my trout pond looked like that! The iron in my water keeps it a dingy green/brown.

I lost two brook trout recently. Still not feeding like gangbusters and the ones that feed O.k. can't be more than 30 or so. I put in 100!

I do know that now that the spawning urge is strong I don't expect a lot of feeding though.

Once I turn off the well flow in a couple of weeks the water will become gin clear and I may be able to see how many trout I have.

It browns up in the summer and gets very dingy this time of year. When I was up there last week, it was completely covered in leaves and hemlock needles. Usually doesn't change over to that nice aqua color until the first heavy freeze for what ever reason. I guess planktonic bloom.

I don't know how healthy it would be for a pond in my area to look that color, but I sure do like that water color!!!

What would you say your maximum depth is?

Off the point of that larger rocky outcropping is 8 feet in the summer drought and 10 feet during the spring rains. There is definitely a spring that seeps out of the rocky outcropping into the deeper park of the pool. I've put a mask and snorkel on and dove in... There is almost a cavern and cuts about 10' feet under that rocky ledge. I think most of my hold over trout hold up right where the chilly spring seep meets the warmer water. Temps in the heat of summer stay in the 66 degree range, however I don't know what the DO levels are. The largest brown trout I stocked this spring was 15" in late March and my dad caught a 21" brown trout in late May. I doubt a non supplementally fed brown trout is gonna pack on 6" in 2 months. So I am thinking at least a few are surviving each year.