Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations HSB ?

Burger raised a valid point on another thread we hi-jacked that I think has merit to continue.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=162016#Post162016



Can hatching and propagation of HSB be manipulated for year round fingerling production?

My HSB reference source, American Fisheries Society’s publication “Culture and Propagation of Striped Bass and its Hybrids”, addresses only spring production from “ripe” brood stock.

I think hormones can be injected to produce "ripe" fish most parts of the year, but I am not an aquaculturalist so I am not sure...

OK, I just talked to Keo, who raises nothing but HSB for shipping.
They said that they can induce females to develop eggs at different times in the spring, around their normal spawning time. So, as George and CJ said, they can be 'somewhat' manipulated. It was also inferred that maybe they crowd them to keep them smaller for shipping/survival reasons. Sounds reasonable since they have a small window of opportunity.
So, I am wondering how big the 2 and 4 inch lmb would have been after 1 month, and to what degree they may have dented my hsb stocking.

thanks, George for starting a new thread.

OK, that’s what I thought.
In our area, as well as Arkansas, female Striped Bass will be “ripe” under the proper water temp conditions as early as February and as late as April, so that gives a “springtime” window of spawning opportunity.

I believe that the “best” HSB quality for pond stocking as to size and longevity is based on the following program:
Fingerlings should be obtained from hatchery as early as possible in the spring at sizes between 1-2 inches and placed in grow-out ponds, or stocked in NEW ponds with forage species with high protein supplemental feed program.

Fall HSB stockers should be a minimum of 4-6 inches to be grown out or stocked in new ponds with NO adult predators.

Late winter stockers should be a minimum 0f 8-10+ inches to survive predation in ponds with mature LMB.

Fall HSB stockers as small as 1.5 – 2 have been held in race ways or crowded tanks, and are stunted and will not reach their potential.
Late winter 4-6 inch HSB stockers area also stunted.

Our first HSB stocking of prime 4-6 inch HSB in pond with mature LMB was in 09-26-03.
Expensive fish food – lesson learned.

We built a ¼ acre grow-out pond in April 2004 and stocked FH minnows and RES in fall 0f 2004. NO BG !
4-6 HSB were stocked Jan 2005.
They were stunted fish with fungus from being held too long in hatchery crowded tanks, which resulted in high mortality
100 prime 4-6 HSB were stocked from Overton in fall of 2005 in ¼ acre grow-out pond and they were the best of the best, thriving on FHM and supplemental feed.

In spring of 2006, persuaded Overton to stock 1-2 inch HSB to grow-out to minimum 8-10 inch stockers for mature ponds.

The rest of the story:
We have reached our goal of developing a successful HSB program in our ponds, maintaining an annual stocking ladder” of at least 25/acre, 8-10 inchers, resulting in an on-going fishery of 1 - 5 lb HSB.

We lost all of our big HSB from 2-acre pond due to a major fish kill in July 2008 that killed all large species, including LMB, CC, GC and CNBG.
We have since transferred ~50, 1.5lbs - 4.5 lb HSB from ‘grow-out “pond to main pond, as well as restocking 200 8-12 inch primo Overton HSB.

It is my personal opinion that the above program be followed in order to achieve a successful HSB program in southern farm ponds.



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Do we know if Keo uses the original cross (Female SB x Male WB) or the reciprocal cross (Female WB x Male SB) ?

(Assuming I have my crosses correct. Not even trying to remember Sunshine vs. Palmetto!)

Good question, Theo, I did not think to ask. Whites spawn very early also. They start their migration upstream sometimes as early as late Jan. in se Tx.

George, as usual, great info. For the record, I approached Todd 1st about some larger stockers, but he was out. something about this HSB fanatic in the DFW area would buy all he had. I couldnt stock the pond til March/Ajpr. 08 and it was still pretty muddy then. I cleared it with alum. As I said, I got 75 in hopes of getting 25 started. If I dont find any in the pond, I will keep in contact with Todd. Just so hard to coordinate when He is heading south or east and I am going over to Miss. I asked the hatchery guy in Miss. thaqt I got my F1s from about HSB, and he told me that most folks get theirs from Keo. I know Bruce is high on them. Does Todd spawn them or get them when small?
Anyway, I will follow your program on the HSB, just couldnt get the timing right this 1st go around.

thanks

Burger, I believe that Todd gets 1-2 inch HSB in early spring and grows them out.
If you can get some of the largest and most aggresive they will be the champs.

Theo, the answer to your question is that I do not know.
I do know that our state hatchery utilizes the SBxWB Palmetto cross, but don't know about private hatcheries.
Perhaps Overton or Lusk can shed some light on this subject.

There is a very narrow window for fertilization of SB eggs, and the state guys electoshock and examine eggs by catheter on site.

WB females are less effected by stress and have a "wider" window for fertilzation. I would not be surprised if private hatcheries used WBxSB Sunshine cross.

Another interesting fact is that WB eggs are sticky and require different technique for fertiliaztion.

SRAC Hybrid Striped Bass
Hatchery Phase
http://aqua.ucdavis.edu/dbweb/outreach/aqua/301FS.PDF

Keo makes the sunshine bass, WBxSB cross.