Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Stocking in Massachusetts

Does anyone have experience dealing with Masswildlife on stocking? All I want is to purchase a few hundred pounds of Fathead Minnows for my pond. It appears that I need a Class 6 Baitfish License in order to purchase these. The license is only $25 bucks, no big deal. Even with the license where can I purchase Fatheads from? There doesn't appear to be any fisheries in my neck of the woods. Does anyone ship Fatheads? If so, do I still need a license?

Any help or suggestions appreciated.

I see my question is a tough one.

Ok, does anyone know of a fishery that ships to massachusetts?

Sorry, Mass! Usually not much New England participation on this forum. Cross your fingers -- I'm still hopeful you can get an intelligent response.

Welcome to the Pond Boss forum Mass Fry, you mentioned wanting a few hundred pounds of fatheads, that's alot of forage fish.
Tell us more about your pond and what you hope to accomplish so that the experts here can give you more info.
I don't know about Mass. hatcheries, but here's a list of private hatcheries in N.Y.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/52348.html

Mass. has some of the strictest fish laws of any state I have read up on. You need a permit for everything it seems! Mail ordering a couple hundred pounds of FHM would have to be incredibly expensive... I know as AP said, I'd love more details about your pond and your goals for it. Sounds very interesting...

The USUAL stocking rate for a new pond is 10 pounds per acre and they are extremely prolific. Like these guys say, tell us about the pond. There may be, and probably are, better alternatives. From what CJB says, some of those alternatives might have to be done under the cover of darkness.

That's one of the reasons we like you Dave, your eternal optimism.

We are waiting for more info from Mass Fry.

Massfry,

While we are waiting to here more specifilly your goals etc. as someone just said fatheads are very prolific. I put a handful of fatheads in a .62 acre pond last spring and ended up with thousands in a couple of months.

Where are you located roughtly in Mass? I used to live in the Ayer/Harvard area as a kid. (Northeaster/Central mass 10 miles south of the NH line.

Here's a trout farm in Bolton that may be able to direct you to a source. With all the bait sold in Mass you should be able to find some. If you find out where your local bait store gets them that may work.

Great Brook Trout Farm
120 Meadow Rd
Bolton, MA 01740
978-779-6899

Sorry was away for a few days.

I was told by another pond owner I needed 100 lbs per acre, or maybe I mis-understood (very possible). What I'm hearing here is drastically different.

My pond is 1.5 acres, 12ft at the deepest point to a an inch or two at its most shallow.

There is quite a bit of cover around the edges, down trees, branches and stone walls.

The pond is spring fed and I control the water height with a dam.

The pond is (or was) loaded with large mouth, catfish, some perch, sunfish, and crayfish.

The only weed problem I have is with "meal weed" which covers the top of the water. I control the meal weed using the dam and run it off the pond after heavy rains.

Other than that I'm trying to balance out the feeder fish because I'm afraid the bass are eating each other. I've noticed a drop off in the numbers over the last year or two.

Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks Cecil, I'm in Sturbridge.