Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose HSB?

I want these fish regardless but will they help cut down on my Crappie? They are breeding for sure and one thing it is amazing how small a Crappie will take a live minnow! I am keeping then down some by fishing them out. I like the big ones and enjoy eating but as of now only big Cats as predators. I never expected them to do the job. Walleye next and then Yellow Perch this fall. I like fish I enjoy eating. I wish I could get some Smelt.

Old Wood how big is your pond? You have Crappie you have Big Cats and you want Walleye and HSB and Perch. All of which are predator fish? Not sure if that's gonna work very well for you. All those fish need a lot to eat.... Anyway back to the first question how big is your BOW that will help us determine what you may or may not want to try!

RC

Channel Catfish near 3 pounds and up are a very effective, voracious predator. If there is an overabundance of small, stunted BCP, HSB could do well for a while, but as RC alluded to, a forage species will need to be there eventually. YP/WE may not be a bad mix. The WE would be slow gtowers, and if the YP eggs do not all get eaten by starving BCP, YP can filter feed to grow.

Chances are, with smaller WE and YP in the water, the CC would ignore the stunted BC for an easier meal, till easier meals are gone.

Rex,

Your last sentence above really strikes close to home. Last week I took two CC from my lower pond. One was about a 5 lbs., and the other about an 8 lbs. As always, I cut their stomachs open to see what they'd been eating.

There wasn't a trace of fish bones or skin in either of their stomachs. Instead, their stomachs were distended due to an over abundance of feed pellets. I'm not sure why they took the hooks I had set out after dark with thawing creek chubs from last fall, and liver. Their gluttonous stomachs were already beyond capacity.

But, CC sure will take take the easier meals.

I don't know what to think of my HSB. Like my big CC, it too is a love-hate relationship. I'm thinking I may need to build two more ponds, one just for CC and one just for HSB. I have HSB in my main BG/LMB/CC pond, and also in my put-and-take CC/HBG pond. The HSB have grown so fast, and are so aggressive, that I can hardly catch anything else.

A few weeks ago I started a thread about HOW NOT TO CATCH HSB. I didn't get any real answers. When I'm fishing for BG, crappie, or even LMB with a flyrod, I like to use the equivalent of a 2-4 lb., tippet/leader. When an 18-20 inch HSB grabs the bait at lightning speed, my stripped flyline will burn through my fingers and hands before I can react. By then, the HSB is free and on its way with a tiny hook and some line in its lip.

Oh, the trials and tribulations of owning fishing ponds.

Dang, I sure to love it.

Ken

Ken, your fishing trials and tribulations are why stocking certain predator fish to target specific species of fish as forage won't work that well. You cannot tell a fish "just eat this".

HSB are very aggressive. As a species they are like HBG in their aggressive nature. Its in both of these hybrid's genes. Can you say hybrid vigor.

Hello Guys,
I just got through an all day trip. I ended up with 46 HSB all over 2lbs. and most about 4lbs. Also 95 Blue Gill from 2"s to 4"s. Within an hour my HSB were schooled up and prowling. My little pond is a pure pleasure. It was just a mud hole with some standing water and frogs mating like crazy. I still have the frogs as I created a marsh next to the pond. Now I have schools of minnows cruising the edges, Crappie chowing on the dummys, Cats being lazy but fed well and my HSB were schooled up and cruising within an hour of being put in their new spring fed home. Quite a few had turned light in color but were already turning back dark again. It was an all day journey from one truck to another. 7 did not make it and will be fileted within the hour. I love my pond. After putting the fish in I walked around the perimiter. Spooked a bunch of Bull Frogs and schools of Minnows out of the grass. Within a half hour the Frogs were croaking big time. The minnows were cruising where I loade the fish. And a school of my brand new HSB showed up feeding. I bet I catch some this weekend and cannot wait. Walleye and Perch next. I wish I could get some Smelt. I cannot tell you how much pleasure I get from what I created. It was just a mud hole that a previous owner had dug a ditch and put in 1000s of foot of pipe to drain for cattle pasture. The cattle ruined the creek which now I have minnows reproducing all the way up the mountain to where it comes out of the ground. It is very satisfying.

One thing about my pond is if I have a real problem I could drain if needed. I started out with Crappie that I caught in a neighbors pond mid-summer. I already had minnows and Horny Heads established and minnows spawning. The Crappie grew like crazy and by early spring were
eating size. Then I added the cats caught from another neighbors pond most small but a few 1 lb. or so. I feed my fish daily with pellets and a few times a week at least with minnows. This pond is my fishing pond. I also have Trout pools that I only fish on special occasion. I recently caught a Rainbow for the grill that was 27"s long, 18"s around and weighed 15 lbs. I have 2 that are bigger and I worry that they will die of old age and end up scavenger food.
Back to my Frog pond,that is what we call our fishing pond. so far no problem except too many Crappie. No fish kills, all growing, and everthing caught looks very healthy. I was surprised at how quick the HSB recovered. I caught the first one last night on a live minnow and they are fighters. I only had one floater HSB and 1 BG. I did see a wounded 4" Horny head that had been chewed on. Right now I have a bunch of 3" Crappie that I doubt the HSB can get their mouths around. Walleye food are my thoughts. The HSB and Walleye will be caught and eaten. Without draining I doubt I could get rid of the Crappie and dont want to as we enjoy eating them. My Grandson has gotten expert at catching them too and has his favorite spot. It is an experiment and we are having fun. The Perch are another favorite to eat. I feel certain they will reproduce and I must have good enough cover as the schools of minnows evidence. I also have thosands of Bull Frog polly wogs. I know the Ducks like them but do any fish? I know you guys like pictures and I do too. I promise to have my computer expert friend who is visiting tomorrow help me load pictures. I have tried but have issues. Have a great weekend.