Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose new pond

About to stock a new two acre pond. Here is what I am think of stocking:
100 3-4 in LMB
50 4-6 in HSB
2000 3-4 in BG
10 lbs FHM

Any thoughts?

What are your goals for this pond?

What part of Missouri? Looks like you are going for big LMB with those ratios. I would replace 10-20% of your BG with RES and if only adding 10# FHM, I would stock the FHM now and put in lots of spawning pallets and wait till Fall to add BG/RES and next spring for the HSB/LMB. Personally, I would put in 30-40# of FHM in our area just because it is the cheapest, best starter food for your predators. You may want to add GSH to the mix as well for the future forage, especially for the HSB.

I'm in southwest missouri. The goals for the pond are just to have a good healthy fishery.

Howdy Sam-
Can you be a little more specific on what you mean by healthy? We're not trying to be obtuse, there's just so much variability that term allows. What do you like to fish for most? How much do you want to manage? Are you going to feed? Do you plan to fish the pond daily, or monthly, or somewhere in between?

I would like to have large bluegill and decent bass. Also I would really enjoy having some HSB. I do plan on feeding pellets for the BG and HSB.

My pond is in South Central MO and unless you are in some good crop soil, there are ground fertility issues in your area..as in not fertile for much more than fescue, cedar and some cactus..lol

If by "healthy", you mean as little management as possible and if it were my pond, I would stock 150 LMB...1500 BG...250 RES...30# FHM...10# Golden Shiners. Stock the all but the LMB this spring and add the LMB this Fall or next spring and then add 50-100 HSB next spring planning to replace as needed/caught. The sizes you listed are fine too. For more large Bass, reduce LMB numbers and increase BG numbers.....for bigger BG...visa versa. Feeding will help as will aeration. Also be sure to gather soil samples and ask your local USDA office to give you a Lime recommendation to bring your soil PH to 7.4, then double the suggested tones per acre, spreading the lime in both the pool and within 250 feet of the shore.


Edit:...as per newly stated goals, stock BG at 1000, RES at 200 and LMB at 300...all others I'd leave the same(100HSB).

Feed the fish a good quality food on a daily basis when the water temps are above 60°F will help you achieve your goals much quicker, even as soon as 3 years for 10"+ BG.

I would also like to add crappie to this pond. I know that they can ruin a pond; but I would really like to have some crappie if at all possible.

If you must have them, my advice is to give the originally stocked LMB time to reach 12" and reproduce at least once. Then stock crappie just barely big enough to avoid being eaten by the biggest bass. You want your bass to be able to readily prey on the offspring your crappie produce to limit how many survive.

SE Pond Mgt has promoted HSB as one tool to help manage crappie populations, so a healthy population there might assist. As CJ suggested, best to have a good predator base in place before you even think about adding crappies. You might also consider having a small number of really prime crappie structures in places you can fish easily-for ease of crappie removal if the population starts getting out of hand. I have two fairly large PVC "ball and stick" structures in a 3 acre pond that has crappies, but not a lot of other structure. With little jigs or minnows, I can remove a large number of crappies in a pretty short period because the crappies are always there.

Without a lot of management, many of us have found that "healthy fishery" and "crappies" don't go together too well. But there are exceptions, and if you're really dead set on them, go ahead.

Just be aware of the costs associated with killing and starting over if the crappies don't work out for you.

If you must try crappie, try hybrid black crappie, or the blackstripe. Myself and Zep have stocked them and their offspring are supposedly inferior and pose less management risk...at least that's the marketing angle. Too early for me to tell the impact of the F2 fish on my fishery. I have definite evidence of F2 recruitment - but only a dozen 3-6" fish thus far in four years taken by cast nets and traps.

Hybrid Crappie are pretty easily replaced if needed. If you want crappie, all things are possible, it all comes down to how much concern, monitoring and potential work you are willing to invest in managing you pond.

My whole family loves to eat crapoie, so I'm sure the crappie would be harvested at a high rate.

Okay, after all this advice how does this plan sound?

100 3-4 in LMB
100 4-6 in HSB
2000 3-4 in BG
200 3-4 in RES
200 3-4 in Black Crappie
30 lbs FHM

All with very little structure besides for a few PVC pipe structures for the crappie. Also with supolemental feeding for the BG and HSB.

Seems like your BG numbers are to high, and the LMB are to low for what has been discussed . I would also state in your plans as to when/year you add each of these. That is very crucial for your success.

I've got a problem. I just found out that my relative, thinking they were being helpful, went a head and put 100 LMB, and 10 lbs of FHM. So now it looks like I won't be able to stock my forage base and allow it to establish itself , then my predators at a later date. What can I do to fix the problem?

Congratulate your relative on feeding the bass for a few days

The bass will then have no food

Are they pellet feed bass, if so start feeding?

No I don't believe that they're pellet trained. He said that they were all about four inches in length. What should I do now?

which problem?

Relative?---- feed him to the fish

Stocked LMB?---wait for the pros to give their ideas.


OUCH!!!!!

Whatever you will have to do, it will cost you more money as a result of this.

Kill off the pond....
-or-
Most likely have to stock larger fish than planned.

This is my guess, but we'll see what the pros say.
With no forage base in there, I would doubt that there is not much hope for a trophy bass pond. BUT, you were leaning towards a BG trophy pond. If the BG would be stocked right now, then you might have a fighting chance. You will want to begin feeding those BG as ASAP. Perhaps stocking tilapia this spring will help provide some forage for a kick start? You will also want to stock the RE with the BG.

Have a stern talk with anyone involved with YOUR pond that nothing is to added or taken out of the pond without your explicit approval!!!!!


Edit: I think there was a recent post saying that Tilapia aren't allowed in MO. ???
Perhaps you could find a source of GSH that are over 2" and get them going?

I have decided that I don't really want trophy BG as much as I would like to have a nice balance between the LMB and BG, and some crappie and HSB to catch as well. My guess is I'll probably have to kill it off, but I guess I'll have to wait and see what the experts have to say.

Punch your relative in the face? HAHA

Post a sign around the pond, if you didn't get approval from "ME" don't stock it in here!

I just want to know what I can do to fix the problem.