Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Tadpole Happy Meals

We're regularly in the 60s this month in Missouri, and the sunshine has spawned all kinds of activity in my new 1 acre pond. Walked the shoreline late yesterday afternoon and saw a virtual McDonald's fast food production of Toad eggs (yes, toad, not frog) that will soon hatch into tadpoles that my fingerling LMB (to be stocked in May) should love. The shallows along the shoreline were bumper to bumper with mounted female toads laying long strings of eggs as the males rode along with smiley faces.

Also saw some fry? Would 3" BG and RES stocked last fall be spawning already? Or maybe the 10lbs of fatheads stocked last fall? Anyway, they seem to be happy campers....

The fry could be either. Most likely the FHM, as the BG and RES are a little early in the season yet, most likely and probably just a bit too small. However, I'd bet your BG will spawn by the end of the year. What is your goal for the pond?

Mostly just a recreational pond with a good view from my front porch. I am stocking approx 10:1 BG/RES to LMB (the LMB fingerlings get stocked May 14) plus ten pounds of FHM, so hopefully will be able to manage for some good size bass, but also some lunker BG and RES. My ten acres is mostly woods, but I am planting native prairie grasses and wild flowers around my shoreline...it's just an acre pond but it really adds a nice element to the property.