Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Overton Fisheries 2015 Camelot Bell Fingerlings

It is now time to announce our Camelot Bell fingerling production program for 2015. We have just posted new gallery pics of our CB brood stock that were put out to spawn, so please go take a look. Fingerlings from these brood stock will be available by late May/June 2015 time frame.

Overton Fisheries Camelot Bell Broodstock 2015

I want to recognize and thank Mike Frazier at Camelot Bell Ranch for providing me with these genetics way back in 2012. Mike's willingness to share these genetics with me is much appreciated. Now we are raising the bar in the private sport-fish industry across the south by offering pure genetics with trophy potential, that are identifiable and indeed catchable.

In addition to the adult brood stock that I acquired from Camelot Bell in 2012, we have continued to improve on our line of brood stock. We took the jumper fingerlings (cannibals that outgrow their brothers and sisters then turn against them) from the 2012 and 2014 lunker fingerlings program and made brood stock out of these jumper fingerlings. Fish pics in the gallery were jumper fingerlings from the 2012 lunker fingerling program at Camelot Bell. In addition, we now have adult CB brood stock from the 2014 lunker program. By using descendants of CB lunker bass that were caught rod/reel as brood stock, we feel we our 2015 product will be exceptional.

We have enough brood stock individuals now, to begin in 2016 selecting for the blue-green spot in 100% of our brood stock. Using this method of selection, we hope to see a higher incidence of this mark on our fingerlings. Ultimately we hope to rely on this mark as a genetic indicator, and that would be a key management tool for the private pond/lake owner as well...

So, if you are in the South, and you are preparing your water for the stocking of largemouth bass fingerlings, take this opportunity to introduce pure genetics with tremendous potential.

Thanks, Todd. I was interested in CB but concerned about catchability, so your info is welcome.

Now that you have a history with these bass I was wondering what kind of growth you have seen years 1-3. I am interested in 4,000 fingerlings. I was also curious if you are mixing blood lines because I was under the impression that Camelot got these from one blood line in florida and was worried about interbreeding. I need bass that are proven fast growers over the first three years. Waiting to hear from you. Thanks!
Clint

We have seen 1-3lb annual growth rates on these genetics, which is not out of the ordinary for Florida largemouth bass. All depends on the conditions. The real difference that I see is that once these fish grow out to around 10 lbs, they can kick into another gear, so long as there is an abundance of the larger sizes of baitfish such as bluegill, tilapia, gizzard shad.

Our brood stock were acquired from camelot bell ranch lake direct, as well as from the successful lunker fingerling breeding programs of 2012 and 2014. I would be interested in mixing in a new bloodline, I suppose, but it would have to be a LEGIT source, documented and pure. Last thing I want to do is to water down or weaken the genetic purity of these fish, so to speak.

To me, these genetics are the equivalent of an heirloom or landrace strain, breeding true. One of my last concerns at this point in time is interbreeding.

Another thing to keep in mind, fingerlings from Overton Fisheries are produced from many individual brood fish (I put out 85 adults this year), allowed to freely choose their mate. In my opinion, this provides the consumer with a larger set of genetic remix possibilities, and would be preferable to fingerlings produced from a single female x few males.

I can hardly wait to get them growing in my pond. Do the research people, these fish are what I was looking for.

Tracy