Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Pumpkinseed Sunfish

Stocked about 10 pumpkinseed sunfish into my pond and one bluegill. Haven't seen the BG in sometime.

I wanted to get fish in the pond to take care of some of the unwanted insects. I decided on sunfish because I couldn't keep trout for the last two seasons, when the summer water tempature became to high. BTW, I have a large population of bull frogs which also help to keep the bugs down.

The pond is about a tenth of and acre and 8 feet deep at full pool as it is now, with all the rain we have had this year. I now think I may have been able to stock the trout again this season and had them survive.

If I decide to add trout will they get along with the sunfish? How about LMB and trout?

Thanks.
Scruffy

Yo Scruff

Trout and BG will harmonize, but Trout will graze pretty heavily on your BG fry, which is not a bad thing.

LMB will prey on Trout if the size is right...fusiform and high in fat - LMB would feast on the troutdogs.

LMB size range should dictate the size of trout you'll need to stock. I would think 14" trout would be safe from any bass under 17"....but I may be wrong. PB mag just had a pic of a 10" GSH in a modest sized bass...tail sticking out of his maw. They are eating machines.

scruffy, what dimensions are your pond?

Mikey,
My pond is 50'x80'x8' deep at full pool. With all the rain it is doing well compared to the past couple of years.

Size of LMB?

What water temp max do you achieve in Summer?

Do you aerate?

Water source?

Where in NH are you? I have enjoyed the time I spent there and would love to get back.

Do you flyfish the region? What species of trout are you stocking into your pond?

Sorry for all the questions...I'm a trout fan too.

Trout generally get out competed in marginal habitats where they compete with warm water species such as sunfish. If the water stays cool enough say under 70 and DO levels stay near saturation, it is highly possible for you to have both trout and sunfish. Adirondack Pond, another forum member has a trout/pumpkinseed pond. I am sure if he sees this post, he'll share his experience...

Thanks Scruffy. I will probably put in a similar size pond when it is my turn to buy a property.

CJ,
I've been Talking with ad-pond his a big help we have the same interest in ponding and fish.

TJ,
Do a search for my posts and you'll learn all about may pond building to fixing the leak. I haven't stocked LMB as of yet. I am a trout person and have stocke Rainbows for the past couple of years only to loose them to high water temps. My pond has reached as high as 82 degrees, not suitable for trout.

I have a watershed pond which I aerate with a waterfall pump and a small well that puts out about 500 gallons of ground water a day at 54 degrees.

500 gallons of 54 degree water should certainly help the trout...

scruffy, now you can grow giant PS's, good that your pond is doing better.
I talked to Doug at pond doctors tonight and I'm ordering a 6 gallon pail of db-100 so I'll report on the results in 2 or 3 weeks when I'm done, hopefully it will stop the leak.

I've been adding PS's to my backyard pond from my big pond and a few other sources nearby, they are feeding well on trout pellets, freeze dried shrimp, crickets and grasshoppers.
I did have a fish cage but after problems with bear damage I decided to keep my larger PS's in the backyard pond, then I'll transfer them to an indoor RAS in the fall.
This one is 7 inches but the biggest one is over 8.

Nice looking PSK, and you're getting some good growth out of him!

Beautiful fish AP! Love those colors!

Hey when my dad and I were fishing in Maine the ponds that were stained had the brook trout with the brightest colors. Is that the case with you too?

Cecil, The trout in the big pond always seem to have good color and it definitely is tea stained, but I honestly don't know if their any more colorful than trout from clearer water.

I think you're right Cecil... The trout I have caught from tannic waters always have great coloration. As long as they aren't stockers, or at least if they were stockers they have been in the pond or lake for a while.

Nice looking Pumpkin ad-pond.

I have one that is pushing 6 inches. Since I just stocked them they are not doing to badly. I have eleven total at the moment.

I already have fry from one PSK I thought was pregnate and now I know she was.

Question; They must be live bearing?

Nope. Nest builders just like other centrarchids.

Scruffy, What are you feeding your PS's.

They are living on the egosystem of insects and maybe fry from the spawn. I have a population of mayflies that came off this spring. Don't forget I only have eleven to date, and one BG. I also now have 4 rainbows that have survived. The pond temp is 78 degrees top to bottom, taken yesterday. On the border of losing the trout if it gets any warmer.

I'm waiting for the big hex mayflys that I stocked last year, by capturing them locally, and releasing the the duns to mate over my pond. I hope they took, I should find out in a week or so. I thought it might work because the big hex's are mud seeking nymphs.

Have you applied the BP 100 yet?

Wow, 78 degrees, I'm surprised it's not much cooler at depth, hopefully the trout will survive, we've got some cool weather coming for the next 3 days.
If you get that mayfly hatch you'll have some happy fish.
The db100 came yesterday and we'll be going up to the cabin tomorrow till tuesday, so I'll report on the results next Tues.
It sounds like your pond is still doing better this season.

It is diffinity better, full pool in Aug. and clear water. who could ask for more?

Interesting idea to introduce mayflies or at least attempt to get them to establish in your pond. There are piles of different species with nymphs that have different requirements. I hope the species you tried establishing did take hold!

I caught a bunch of PS's today at a nearby lake, I only kept this one cause his color pattern was interesting, atleast to me.
He's now in the mini pond.

That is a COOL fish!

That's beautiful. I've never seen a live one.