I have a three or four year old pond in South Carolina that is about an acre +or- depending on the water level and is just feed with rain/runoff water(just bought the place last year) the pond is about 12' deep on the deep end. On 15 Mar 2010 we stocked 750 Bream (250 were Shellcrackers). The Bream were a max of 3" long when stocked and some are now close to 7" to 8" but only 2.5" to 3" deep. The bream have spawned we can see many small 1" to 2" minnows. I want to stock some Large Mouth Bass and I was told to use a 10 to 1 ratio so about 70 Bass this fall or next spring. I was thinking I might try to stock say 30 bass this fall (now) and the rest next spring or should I stock all 70 now.
I might try to get some catfish too, but only say 5 to 10 or so.
Last edited by Dieselscout80; 09/16/1009:29 AM.
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
What are your goals for the pond? Growing large Bream, large Shell Crackers, large Bass, or more of a balanced fishery?
When you say Bream, does that mean you stocked pure (straight) Bluegill, Coppernose Bluegill, or a Hybrid Bluegill?
If your stocked fish were straight gills, your 10-1 ratio would be based on 500 fish. The Redear (RES/shellcrackers) only spawn once a year and won't count much as forage producers.
Did you put in Fathead Minnows (FH) or Golden Shiners when you first stocked? Do you feed Pelleted fish food?
The 10-1 Largemouth Bass (LMB) stocking rate sounds pretty close for a balanced fishing pond. You don't have to stock them all at once, but if you don't, you would need to stock much larger LMB the second time or the stockers would become expensive fish food.
The Channel Cats (CC) would be fine. but grow fast, get big and become very hook shy if caught and released. 10 CC at 10 pounds ecah means there is 100 pounds of fish that could have been in another species like the BG or LMB.
Lots of questions, but the answers will get you the best help.
What are your goals for the pond? Growing large Bream, large Shell Crackers, large Bass, or more of a balanced fishery?
When you say Bream, does that mean you stocked pure (straight) Bluegill, Coppernose Bluegill, or a Hybrid Bluegill?
If your stocked fish were straight gills, your 10-1 ratio would be based on 500 fish. The Redear (RES/shellcrackers) only spawn once a year and won't count much as forage producers.
Did you put in Fathead Minnows (FH) or Golden Shiners when you first stocked? Do you feed Pelleted fish food?
The 10-1 Largemouth Bass (LMB) stocking rate sounds pretty close for a balanced fishing pond. You don't have to stock them all at once, but if you don't, you would need to stock much larger LMB the second time or the stockers would become expensive fish food.
The Channel Cats (CC) would be fine. but grow fast, get big and become very hook shy if caught and released. 10 CC at 10 pounds ecah means there is 100 pounds of fish that could have been in another species like the BG or LMB.
Lots of questions, but the answers will get you the best help.
Goals well fishing forsure and we like bass fishing, but BG are fun too.
Straight BG.
The cats would be to maintain (clean and help seal the bottom I'm told no it doesn't leak) the pond mostly I think.
No minnows.
I started feeding in August about a 12oz coke bottle full once a day (evening) food is gone in 10 min or less.
Last edited by Dieselscout80; 09/16/1010:18 AM.
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
I like fishing for CC, but they won't do anything to seal a pond basin and turtles would clean anything that died.
If you want to grow lunker bass, I would only stock about 20 LMB. If you're happy with mostly 1-3 pounders, go with around 75. You'll need to stock 4-6" LMB or larger.
I would also put in 15-25 pounds of Golden Shiners in the hopes that they will establish themselves. Right now you have a lot of really hungry gills eating their young with no minnows to munch on. Although it's a little late, I would add 50 pounds of Fathead Minnows also. The FH will help the GSH get established and will feed your BG and LMB the first year but will all get eaten.
Others will be along soon to offer more options and in-depth reasoning I'm sure.
I know that it seems Rex is advising stocking a lot of minnows, but I agree with him. The BG will be eating a lot of the FHM, and if you don't get the GSH established before the LMB are stocked, I doubt that you will ever get them established.
After the first year or so, the stocker LMB will be harder and harder to catch, but if you don't take them out, they'll be growing bigger and bigger. The kids will have a blast catching the panfish, and once they get used to pulling out 10"+ BG, they'll be spoiled.
The local guy who the SC DNR lists and who I got the BG's from says I should not put Golden Shiners in because they will take over the pond. He did say to put about 1 lb of FHM in January 2011 and add the LMB in May 2011.
He doesn't sell FHM and this year he isn't going to be selling fish so there isn't anything to gain for him in the advice.
Last edited by Dieselscout80; 09/19/1007:51 AM.
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
But he may be wrong. I don't think GShiners will take over a pond with adult BG. They will compete with them. You need more than 1 lb of FH - at least 10 lbs and 20 would be better. I would go light on the LMB #s - but it depends on the size of the LMB. 30 6 inch LMB would work if you use 2 inch LMB then 50 (some will get eaten).
They seem to be thriving. Last spring I put 500 BG and 250 shellcracker in the pond that was never stocked before. They were feed most of the year. They slowed down eating when it got cold, but now are back up to eating a quart of feed per day. Last year the bearm spawned at least 2x and now it'm still seeing lots of those fish, but they're bigger 2" - 3". I see lots of the stocked fish that are about 7" - 8" long and getting a bit deeper too now say about 4" - 5". The biggest are a more copper/gold color and I think those are the Shellcrackers.
Last edited by Dieselscout80; 03/02/1107:18 AM.
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
It is easier to add LMB than take them out. I would go slow if you are using bigger LMB. I would go with 20 4-6 inch LMB this spring. If you need more then you can add a few in the fall. This assumes there are no LMB in there now.
I have serious doubts about the 10 to 1 rule on BG/LMB in the south. That concept was developed for food production purposes.
No way to know how many are in the pond now. A bunch of the BG yoy were eaten by all things in the pond (fish , birds , frogs , snakes etc). Ask for half male and half female from the hatchery.
I have never heard of that fertilizer, strange it says water soluble but still requires 40 lbs/acre. Our water soluble app. rate is 4-8lbs/acre. This uses an older formuulation rate of 20-20-5 but that has always been granular, thanks for sharing. What was the cost if you dont mind me asking?
I have never heard of that fertilizer, strange it says water soluble but still requires 40 lbs/acre. Our water soluble app. rate is 4-8lbs/acre. This uses an older formuulation rate of 20-20-5 but that has always been granular, thanks for sharing. What was the cost if you dont mind me asking?
I paid $15.00 for the bag.
It says to add another bag in a week to ten days and then again in another week to ten days after that it says to add a bag when a white object can be seen at 16".
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
4" bass that makes me nervous. Those fish are a yr old and only 4"? Agree if forage is right might get to 10". Just hope you did not get the bottom of the barrell fish.
At that size and this time of year they would have been born last year. The question is when. Were they late born in Sept or were they born last spring and just not fed enough and or were they runts of the spawn. That is the question Greg is pointing out.
thanks for clarifying Eric. Diesel just ask them when were the bass I bought spawned. My guess is May or so last year. This is why I talk folks into waiting a little later last of May or early June and getting 2" fingerling bass from this year instead of last year fish. You shoudl be able to grow them quicker in your pond than crowded hatchery setting. GL
thanks for clarifying Eric. Diesel just ask them when were the bass I bought spawned. My guess is May or so last year. This is why I talk folks into waiting a little later last of May or early June and getting 2" fingerling bass from this year instead of last year fish. You shoudl be able to grow them quicker in your pond than crowded hatchery setting. GL
IC
Will there be a difference between the the two types you mentioned in by next year?
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
Many hatcheries that are capable of it will induce spawning also by recreating the temps and photoperiod along with the chemical inducement to ripen/lays eggs.
The supplier I use for feed trained bass have little or no natural reproduction in their grow out ponds.
I do not know of a hatchery in the SE that does not produce bass in late March/April or latest into May. Not a big deal I guess you just only got 4 inches in about a year. GL
The other day after throwing the fish food out into the pond. I walked around the pond and on the opposite side from the fish food noticed a couple of fish (about 6") going after a couple of shells floating in the water.
I guess I can assume that these were a couple of my Shell Crackers. When I first stocked the pond I put in 500BG and 250 Shell Crackers.
I guess that there is enough food in the pond that all the fish don't come a running when the food gets thrown in.
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
RES don't pellet train easily and usually don't come from the hatchery pellet trained. Thus chances are, the RES have no interest when your feeder goes off...
Well I know about how big this LMB got in a year. My big question is why would it have died we have not had a rain that was more than a sprinkle in the past +10 days? Eailer this year in Febuary we had a turn over that killed two other LMB and 1 or 2 BG.
This LMB wasn't dead yesterday when I was fishing in the evening. The turtles were enjoying it though.
Could it have been a female that was spawning that got hurt while spawning?
Last edited by Dieselscout80; 03/26/1207:42 PM.
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
Diesel that is who I got my fish from. My bass were stocked Oct. 2010, and are 12 inches average and fat. Started eating pellets well too. I did however wind up with a few HBG that I didn't order. But all the fish have done great thus far. I put several bags of fatheads, and shiners in to help them along.
"I have not failed, I have only found 10,000 ways that won't work" Thomas Edison
Diesel that is who I got my fish from. My bass were stocked Oct. 2010, and are 12 inches average and fat. Started eating pellets well too. I did however wind up with a few HBG that I didn't order. But all the fish have done great thus far. I put several bags of fatheads, and shiners in to help them along.
I'm happy with the fish them the smallest of the three dead ones was 14".
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
To me, that fish looks like it's been dead more than 24 hrs. It might have died a few days ago, and sunk, only to float when decomp generated enough gasses inside to float the fish. What's the black spot behind the anal fin?
To me, that fish looks like it's been dead more than 24 hrs. It might have died a few days ago, and sunk, only to float when decomp generated enough gasses inside to float the fish. What's the black spot behind the anal fin?
I'm not sure the turtles were snacking on it when I found it.
Could it have been in the spawning process and been hurt?
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
I'm not sure the turtles were snacking on it when I found it.
Could it have been in the spawning process and been hurt?
Possibly. If it's a female, then it looks like she dropped her eggs already. I've never seen Males with really swollen bellies during spawning. Spawning stresses the fish, and sometimes fish croak for reasons unknown to us "after the fact". I know it's upsetting to have your prized fish go belly up, no matter how small, but I look at it as a fact of life, even we do the best that we can to prevent it. From hatching to reaching adulthood, look at how many fish don't make it.......
I have found a new wrinkle in my pond we were fishing Saturday evening and a friend caught a catfish from our pond about 18" long. I can only think of a few ways catfish got in our pond.
1 - Previous ower put them in (he said there were no fish in the pond) 2 - Geese transported catfish eggs to our pond 3 - A couple catfish were in the BG/Shell Crackers or LMB when they were stocked. 4 - Someone else added them to the pond.
How will having catfish change how I manage my BG and LMB
I would say 1, 3 or 4 was a greater possibility than 2.
How to manage? IF there are no cavities for them to use as spawning sites, then just catch and remove every one you catch. If they are bullheads instead of catfish, then LMB in sufficient quantities will eat the YOY. You might never get them all out of the pond if they are BH.
I would say 1, 3 or 4 was a greater possibility than 2.
How to manage? IF there are no cavities for them to use as spawning sites, then just catch and remove every one you catch. If they are bullheads instead of catfish, then LMB in sufficient quantities will eat the YOY. You might never get them all out of the pond if they are BH.
I think you are correct 1 might be the most likely since he had to boys that were less than 18 when the pond was built.
I think I might bottle fish for the cats.
One acre pond built in 2007.
Stocked: Mar 2010 500 BG and 250 Shellcrackers Mar 2011 25 LMB and one bag of FHM
My guess is that it's a gravid female CC. Females retain the brown color while males can turn into a light or dark blue/grey. What a nice fish - thanks for sharing!
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Definitely a channel cat. At that size, it is eating whatever is unfortunate enough too get in front of it and fit in its mouth. Bluegill and frogs are probably pretty high on its menu.
We caught 4 samll 4-5 inch CC last weekend when BG fishing. I didn't think the CC would repoduce in a 1 1/2 acre pond. We also take out eveyone caught but with me, it's to keep them from digging up the bottom.
It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance? Ronald Reagan _______________ The good Brian
When we put my Dad's pond in, in western Ohio, we stocked FHM and GS in it prior to putting LMBs in. The minnows and shiners spawned and the banks were full of clouds of tiny minnow fry. A few months later we stocked 100 LMB's in the 5-7" range and in about a month or so could find now minnow fry. The adult GS's were confined to the shallow beach area of the pond and were under constant observation by 12 -15 LMB's.
After observing this, I don't think that GS's could take over a pond with a healthy LMB population, but that's just my two cents worth. Good luck and good fishing, Dan
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