Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose What you want but can't get...

I have to agree with Scott (esshup) that I would love to find a source for Pumpkin Seeds. I do not want to pull them from local lakes (where there are tons) because of what they could bring to my pond, but I cannot find anyone who sells them. I think they would be easy to grow in a local hatchery.

I was just on smithcreek web site looking up info on papershells and saw they offered them. They say they can ship safely anywhere. smithcreekfishfarms.com

Ozark....have you ever purchased crayfish on-line?
You think a thousand of them would make it shipped to Texas?

With you Nate, I'd never doubt it... If you can keep a warm water refuge for them I'm sure you could pull off redfish in IL.

There's a hatchery in New York that sells lake trout and land locked salmon along with arctic char, pink salmon and others. Just not sure how well they'd do in most ponds, even ones that can support say rainbow trout year round.

There is a hatchery in DE that sells pure striped bass. They are the largest non government producer of them.

Northern snakeheads are becoming very common in the Potomac River, another year or two and the world record will be caught from there... I wouldn't mind stocking some but the fine and jail time doesn't seem worth it.

The challenge with burbot and sturgeon is they pretty much need water parameters the same as for trout. At least the larger sturgeon species do. I know you manage a couple lakes that could probably support them.

Zep, as long as you foot the bill for next day delivery, I think they'd make it. Talk to them about shipping, and see if they can upgrade the insulation in the box, and maybe put a couple of chemical cold packs inside the box, but outside of the water. If it's the same place that I'm thinking of, they shipped here, but only had 1/4" or 3/8" thick foam pieces cut to fit inside the box, not a real cooler inside the box. For some reason they put brown butcher paper inside 2 of the bags (IIRC 4 boxes/4 bags were shipped) and the bags with the butcher paper didn't fare so well. The replacements made it fine. I'd also try and schedule it so it's cooler down there when they are shipped.

If you know anybody who buys Omaha Steaks, those coolers/boxes that they are shipped in would make perfect shipping boxes for fish.

Be careful ordering crayfish online - I've done a lot of research on this topic because I wanted to order several pounds for pond stocking....most of those available online, at least that I found, are meant for live crayfish boils. Preferred species for those, due to larger size, are Red Swamp and Rusty. I believe the Red Swamp is known for it's invasive burrowing habits which are not ideal for ponds runing the risk of creating leaky fissures in the dam, and the Rustys are not preferred forage due to their aggressive nature and have been known to denude a pond entirely of vegetation. I would be very careful before ordering crays online. Small order, take photos, post here for Bill before you decide to stock. Be aware of the consequences - Rustys are illegal to stock in many states, too. They will outcompete and potentially extirpate native species. These get over your spillway, down the creeks, and across the state in which you live. You don't want to be "that guy" we often talk about - like that guy who released lake trout into Yellowstone Lake: or that guy who released snakeheads in the US; etc. Just be careful before you stock to be certain of species and their potential impact on not only your pond but the entire surrounding ecosystem.

looks like I'm headed to DE and NY to get some fish (next year)!

Zep, get on the web and look at Louisiana crawfish/crayfish/crawdad farmers. I've talked to several on the phone but have just never pulled the trigger on having them shipped to North Texas.

Thanks guys!

Those from NY ARE papershells.

Is this one stocking size? Caught it Friday on Lake Erie with many smaller ones

Good God Man! Give us some details on that fish! Length, weight, what'd it bite?

Approved Tilapia that can survive to 50 degree water. That would give me another month at both ends of the season, and make my LMB very happy.

heavy coats this past Friday?
lassig send some of that cool air down to Texas!
btw....nice fish.

I want orange spotted sunfish.

LMBxSMB or meanmouths as they are sometimes called.

We catch lots of fresh water drum when we go fishing in the Detroit river for Walleye. They average around 6 pounds. I lost the picture of my daughter who caught 2 8 pounders in back to back trolls. We also catch 1-2 muskie a trip as well (well, we break off 1 or 2 muskie a trip). Lake St. Claire/Detroit River/ Lake Erie is one of the best fisheries in the world.

Didn't weight or measure it, just was the biggest I have ever seen so we had to get a picture of it. Caught it trolling on Lake Erie around the Bass Islands on a spinner rig baited with a nightcrawler. It actually wasn't to bad mid 50s. It is un-insulated gortex rain gear that I am wearing in the pic.

Nicely done! Drum all over the great lakes are going to resemble that fish due to all the zebra mussels? With unending source of forage who knows how large Drum or fish like PS or BC could become.

Thanks for the crayfish url. I'll check it out.

Omaha,
Peacock Bass are (argueably) probably one of the most agressive freshwater fish there is. Hawaii's climate allows them to flourish here. These are temensis cichla peacocks. Our 350 acre lake has the butterfly peacocks. Beautiful fish and put up an awsome fight!

Wholeheartedly agree! They are the primary reason I'm as passionate about ponds and fish as I am. Incredible fight and beauty!

I'd like chain pickerel (jack), blue cats, and FL largemouth (atleast 8 inches). And add the drum to this list as well!

Zep I have not purchased the papershells online. I tried earlier this spring but they said they were not ready til june. I did try to get 200 yp however they said that the y would come in five boxes and the total for just the freight would be 825.00. I passed on that. I am going to get ahold of them in june and see how many they can ship in one container and then turn those loose in my forage pond and let them do their thing this summer then turn them loose in the main pond in late fall.

I would absolutely love to have peacock bass in a pond...That means I would have to have 2 ponds one cold enough for the brown trout and one warm enough for the peacock bass...Time to work some more overtime.