Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fish Food for New Pond

1 acre pond and will be stocking FHM, CNBG and of course LMB.
I have read so much on the first food to start them on that I am confused. I know there will be different answers but please just give me your thoughts on brand, types, amounts and how many times a day. My goal is to have good size BG and Big Bass.

Thanks,

If you want Big Bass then don't stock them yet. If you have a new 1 acre pond you need to spend a year building forage, planning your structure, thinking about aeration, planning your stocking strategy, reading all you can about it.

I see you have 33 posts so you may know all this already..

Optimal or AquaMax 500. Start with 2 seconds at 8AM and 6PM. Increase time once they start feeding and eating it within 5 minutes.

I would guess once they start to feed good, you will be at 10-15 seconds each time.

That is with a Trophy Hunter feeder.

Agree on holding off on the bass.

TKD, if you stock small CNBG, I'd recommend Optimal Jr BG feed. I started right away with regular Optimal BG feed, and it was too big for many of my 2 to 3 inch fish the first few months. I'm sure the AM stuff for small BG would be fine, too.

As they grow, you can then gradually switch to regular BG feed, mixing in more of it. During spawning season, though, I'd always keep some Jr BG in the mix for the hatchlings.

Canyon Creek and Dave, I was def going to stock FHM and CNBG first. My question is if I stock them in about Oct and I stock LMB in or about April or May, is that enough time in between to get 1 spawn and maybe 2?

Thanks Canyoncreek, I have been planning this for a good while and reading up on the forum. I was expecting to have it finished earlier in the year that way I could have waited till early next year before stocking the LMB and it would have been closer to a year between.

Maybe, just maybe, depending on the size of the CNBG that you stock and the weather.

My bass got stocked to early and they overpowered the cnbg spawns and just this year I am seeing BG reqruitment of more than they can eat

If you stock in early April I would stock 50% of the bluegill in a medium or large size (above 3 inches). This 50% will be sexual mature. Doing this may get you a spawn before it gets to cold and perhaps another spawn in May before you add the bass. As it will be unlikely to find bass fingerlings in April and May. Most bass fingerlings are stocked in June after they were spawned in March and April and are now 2 to 3 inches (saleable size). If you find bass fingerlings in April or early May they will be runts left over from last year.

Conclustion: Stock Bluegill September/October. Stock Bass in June. But make sure a portion of those bluegill are over 3 inches.

That is great information guys. It really makes sense to do it that way Lunker. That will be the plan.
Plan the Work, Work the Plan