Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Adding Bluegill Spring 2011

Ok I plan to add some BG to a few ponds next spring and wanted to know if you think it would make much difference to add the 4-6 inch fish as compared to 6+ inch fish?

If I will be feeding how long would it take for the 6+ inch fish to catch up with the 4-6 inch fish?

There may not be too much difference in price depending on how many I get, but would like to know if it would be worth it to bump up to the larger fish or just stick with a smaller fish and feed.

Thanks

It depends on your goals and the existing fish in the pond. If you have LMB that are 14" or larger, then they probably will eat some of the 4"-6" stockers.

If you are feeding, I doubt that the 6"+ stockers will ever catch up to the 4"-6" stockers.

The 4"-6" stockers might spawn the same year that they are stocked, but the 6"+ ones definately will if they are stocked in the Spring.

The biggest difference I see is bass predation. If you have larger bass, the 6"+ BG will be worth the extra cash. Otherwise, I don't see much of a need to go with the larger BG. As Scott said, it really depends on your goals... What is your purpose of stocking these BG?

My main purpose is to get more forage in for the LMB and CC as well as any crappie that may have made it.

I want to thin out the HBG and GSF and also want to have enough BG so they can get large enough to eat, and let the larger ones grow to be Trophy size. (at least for me)

Just to give you an idea of what some options are for me to add some larger bluegill this spring I have added some info on prices from another place that I am thinking about trying this spring.

1"-3" are $35.00 per hundred fish
3"-4" are $45.00 per hundred fish
4"-6" are $60.00 per hundred fish
6" and over are $5.50 per pound


A few questions I have:

1. Do these seem like fair prices and what sizes would you recommend I stock?

2. Do you think getting the 6" and larger fish would help much over the 3-4 or 4-6?

3. How many fish would you think I would get per pound?

4. Since I am feeding how long do you think the smaller sizes would take to catch up to the 6" fish?

7. How many per acre should I add a few will be corrective stockings and the others will be like new with few if any fish at all currently stocked?

I wouldn't think you'd get too many 6" per pound.. Maybe 10 or so purely a quess there

Do you have predators (LMB 12 inches +) that can eat a 4 inch but not a 6 inch BG? If yes then stock some of the larger BG. If not go with the size that can't be eaten. The idea is to have BG that will spawn and not be eaten first. An alternative (with more risk and uncertainty ) is to go with stocking #s large enough to withstand predation long enough to grow and spawn.

If the pond was stocked for a year and there are no/few predators you may be a capacity and don't need to add BG.

I will probably have to get the larger ones then or stock more than I need since many would be eaten.

My LMB and CC should be in the 10-14 inch range now.

I wonder how many of the GSF and HBG they have eaten?

That is why I thought I should add the BG since I have so many predators.

My question is will the 6" plus fish reproduce sooner and more fish per spawn and stay ahead as well in size? If this is the case it may be better deal to eat the cost up front.

Then another question is which size would have more stress put on it as far as stocking them?

Since I do have so many fish in the pond how many per acre should I stock of the 4-6 gills or the 6" plus gills?

Or should I just leave it alone?

I just want to make sure to add the gills in time for them to spawn before the fish eat all of the other fish and run out.

Thanks

1. That is why I use the bigger BG in your situation and stock them 2-3 weeks before the first spawn.

2. If stocked correctly that should not matter.

3. A good question that I can't answer as it depends on your ponds population balance. Standard answer for LMB crowdwd ponds is 300-500 per acre if using 3-5 inch fish. That is why I use the blocking net method - less fish purchased then protected and feed for 3 mths. They grow and spawn then the net is removed.

4. That is a possibility.

I would not say my pond is LMB crowded as this spring coming up should be the first year the LMB may spawn so right now I would guess that I should have 20-30 LMB in my pond depending on how many were eaten by the GSF that nature stocked or just died do to shock of being stocked in December 2009. Plus I added a few larger ones this past summer/fall to help reduce the GSF population. I am sure they are busy at work eating as I have yet to catch a LMB.

Now you could consider my pond to be CC crowded and I plan to remove as many of them as I can this spring/summer/fall or when ever they bite for that matter. Most of them should be at least a pound by now and hope to have them double or triple that by this fall. Which with the GFC feedings a few times a day and all the GSF & HBG they can eat I would think this could be possible. Plus if any of the FHM or GSH made it that may be an option as well.

I am interested in responses as well. I am planning to add Coppernose BG in March in my creek/lake. I have caught bass up to 18 inches/4 lbs...but LMB are not that abundant. Right now, my forage base is Green Sunfish, a few fatheads roaming around, and some Golden Shiners. I wouldn't think you would get more than five or six 6" BG per pound.

I am going to go with the 5 to 6 inch CNBG. I figure they have the best chance to survive and they spawn so much better than other BG. I am looking at a place in Gainsville, TX near the TX/OK border to get my CNBG. I guess the key is stocking enough to avoid the LMB.

See this

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=5690&Number=52295#Post52295

I am still thinking about adding some Coppernose this spring but wanted to know what people thought since we just had -30 temps 2 weeks ago?

I am sure I run the risk of a fish kill but would you think any at all would make it or would I loose 100% of them?

I like the idea of having different types of BG in each pond.

Thanks

I am going to add CNBG at my place within the next 2 weeks. I am just south of the TX/OK border and it has been 75 degrees plus for the past 5 or 6 days. My water temp is between 66 and 58 depending where you are. I think even if we get a cold snap, it won't be long enough or low enough to cause any problems. Plus, maybe I will beat the rush for fish this Spring and get a head start if there is an early spawn for CNBG!

If you get ice cover for more than a week at a time, stocking CNBG is most likely a waste. My bet, even if they do survive they're going to do poorly. If you want variety, why not trying a different species of sunfish? PS, LES, RBS, RES, etc...

Please let us know how that goes. I want to do the same thing.

No worries about ice covering my water for a week. It never got above freezing for 5 straight days and I never saw more than the edges with a little ice. Now my smaller, half acre pond was covered with ice for 3 or 4 days. I really think it is mild enough here for CNBG.

I will keep you all posted on how it goes.

Alvord/Sniper

Why not stock CSBG [Condello Northern Strain BG] or RES/BG hybrids? My bet is either would outperform CNBG in terms of survival and size. Just a thought and then no worries about a winterkill.

Mr. Hello, where are you finding 4-6 inch BG? I am in Tulsa and would love to find fish this size. Thanks

Larry/Mr Hello

Rex [Rainman] will have Condello Strain BG that size this Summer, maybe early Summer/Late Spring if he hasn't already sold out. In Fisherman and Pond Boss magazine have done features on these fish, and there's a website dedicated to them as well [bigbluegill.com]. I strongly recommend touching base with Rex on getting these genetics in your ponds. I have personally witnessed 8.5" growth on a 22 month old fish. Pretty amazing stuff.

Those BG are amazing. I'm trying to build a forage base for my skinny bass and I'm afraid they might turn on my bass and eat them! On a serious note, how are they for this purpose? Do they spawn often and have large numbers of offspring? Thanks for the info.

larryboy, The CSBG are rgular northern BG that our resident BG guru Dr. Condello has hand selected the best of the best of the best over many generations to get the absolute best genetics possible.

The CSBG will provide a very good bass forsge base along with just getting scary big.

What are the goals for your pond? Big Bass, big gills, both?

What you want to do in the pond determines how it sould be managed.

Thanks Rex. I'm wanting to grow my skinny bass and make a healthy balance of LMB and BG, ultimately resulting in some nice sized bass and some bonus pan fish for the kids. Finishing my dock this weekend and installing a Sweeney feeder for the BG that are already there (not many) and the new BG I'll be adding. I'm going to need BG in the 5-6 inch range to escape predation. I would like to get the BG in before the first spawn. Do you have any available now that would fit my needs? And maybe a better question, are you going to be in the area any time soon?

LB

I'll bet you could pull off 2-4 spawns annually. I pulled 3 last yr and I'm quite north of you.

I'd suggest adding lot's of fluffy cover in 3-6' water to help BG escape predation.

Thanks teehjaeh. I've already added quite a bit and will be adding more this weekend. The additional BG are just a little primer for getting this pond back in balance. I've only owned it for a year and it had obviously never been managed. Lincoln is considerably cooler so I bet your right on the additional spawns I might be able to achieve. Thanks for your input.