Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Spotted Bass

Spots are kinda a open deep water fish in big lakes if avail. Has anyone tryed putting them in a pond?

Here's a link for ya.

Ewest discusses spotted bass.

I don't know anyone in particular that has stocked spotted. Anyone, anyone?

There is a supplier near DIED and I that sells them but neither of us have stocked them.

In a hurry but clients have them from time to time. They will catch them over and over but they lose weight. They require lots of food because they are so agressive. Sure they wil do ok in some situations but in my experiecne seen them maybe 10 times in all cases in a pond they were skiny. Client had one bass go from 3.8 lbs down to 2.5 lbs then found him dead. he caught him 11 times over a 6 month period.

Oklahoma just put a NO LIMIT on Spotted Bass - they are taking over streams and rivers, and are usually stunted.

Greg, did any of those ponds have shad?

Lets see. The one where the spot lost wieght and died had gizzard shad. You may be right most of them did not have threadfin shad. I think you are thinking correct shad would be a big bonus for spotted bass.

I was just thinking to try a few if I can catch little ones. They are plentiful of them in close by Lake Norman.

Something different, can't hurt to add them I suppose. Just make sure the fish you catch and introduce into your pond are healthy...

Joey just realize your adding a bass that will take away food from other bass you have and probably not do well. If adding more than a few you could get them established. In two prior lakes they had become quite numerous and the clietns were very upset with neighbors who had brought them in from Lake Lanier.

Greg, One of the reasons I was thinking of it is because of there agression. My LgMouth hardly bite. I take every one that looks skinny out. Most are doing much better then when I got the pond. Seems by adding a few small sunfish and feeding the heck out of them, there numbers came around a lot. I got armys of fat solid sunfish now. I have not culled them or any small bass. I am trying to get the number up a little. I rather have more medium size bass then a few big ones that wont bite. Those spots just from fishing experiance are agressive and thought they might bite in a pond also, just was not sure if anyone tryed them or if they would die. The fact that there mouths are smaller then LGMB probly stops them from eating any good size sunfish. My pond not having any minnows might make it a not so good idea. If I get some Gambeise going or a seperate forage pond of fatheads then maybe but your right maybe not a great Idea right now. I worked hard for a few years no sense messing it up now.

I see at least a dozen albino cats that range from 1 pound to 5, I cant see the regular color channels, my guess is there is at least that many probly more. I got to get a bunch of these mistakes out still...hehe

Joey my suggestion is start with just a couple of them and see how they do. YOu hsoudlbe able to catch them to monitor growth of lack thereof.