Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Restocking a 15 acre lake

We drained our lake due to a leak. I am just wanting some good tips on restocking it and how do we need to go about it. We are wanting Redear, Bluegill, Catfish, bass, and I would like Crappie but I have heard that Crappie is not a good idea. Can I get an experts opinion on how we need to go about this.

What are your goals for the lake ? That is the place to start as they dictate management including stocking plans. The goals need to be within the potential of your lake. Things like water quality and productivity are key to achieving your goals.

IMO crappie are not well suited for small lakes in most circumstances.

I would like for it to be where we can grow some real quality bass. However I want it to be where the brim will be big enough to filet. We plan on putting a feeder on our peir and feed the fish. I know of a place that is way smaller than what we have and the brim would come up and churn the water like pirannas and then you would see bass start coming up and the next think you know they would eat some of them big brim. The middle of the lake is loaded with structure such as stumps.

The catfish will compete directly with the bass and eventually eat more than the bass.

I have one a little bigger than that. IL has a program that provides LMB, BG, RE, and CC and costs (last I checked, best I can remember) $25 + $1 per acre. I wouldn't get CC if doing over; but plan and hope to eat a lot of them next year...

I hope to get some SMB and special strain BG, perhaps special strain RE to stock in another smaller pond, grow out and then introduce to that one for improved genetics.

Are you more interested in white crappie or black crappie??

The very important thing is to not put them in first thing. Let the other fish establish first, so there are multiple year classes to help cull the crappie hatch every spring.

Second, pond with managable crappie populations and other fish seem to have golden shiners in them too.

I suggest useing goldens for your forage any ways, andput them in right away. Mississippi is big on growing those bait fish.

feeding the fish is always a good idea if you have the bugdet, never heard of pellet trained crappie, but I have the others.

Are you goingt to buy your fish or catch and transplant them?? that size of lake, it will probly be best to buy from a hatchery.

From my research I had planned on doing something like this...

Fall - 1st year
Fathead Minnows
Bluntnose Minnows
Golden Shiners
Grass Shrimp
Crayfish

Fall - 2nd year
bluegills
redear sunfish
threadfin shad

The following spring
largemouth bass
channel catfish (I would leave them out personally)

Then when you have a sizable bass population over 16" you can stock gizzard shad to get your bass REALLY growing large.

That is my plan anyway.

Use the time when your pond is empty to add structure, cover, and spawning areas.

Bugs, you might have a hard time finding threadfins in the Fall. IIRC typically you stock them in the Spring before they spawn, getting more bang for your buck. Make sure there is a good bloom going in the pond before stocking.

I'd stock the RES the first season with the other forage and then the BG and tshad the following spring. If your pond is in the deep south, say SC or further south, bluntnose minnows wouldn't be a good choice as they would not do so well in that warm a water conditions, particularly in a pond environment.

If you stock GSH (golden shiner) maybe consider a few hybrid Striped bass (HSB) per acre 12-20 as bonus fish instead of catfish. Here is some homework on HSB:
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92629#Post92629