Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait FHM vs Golden Shiners

I was researching on places to get FHM and one place told me that Golden Shiners were much more cost effective for forage in a pond?

I am starting out with a new 3/4 acre pond and only plan to have LMB and BG. From most of my reading it seems that the FHM population will pretty much be wiped out once the LMB bass get some size or after the first LMB spawn.

The golden shiners seem to stand a better chance of survival but I would think they would directly compete with the BG for forage? If this is true wouldn't it be better to just add more BG?

If I have understood the experts here, FHM will reproduce very rapidly and give predators a good start if given time to build up before adding predators, but they are often wiped out. GSH will build fast and provide larger prey items, and will also persist if larger breeders are allowed to grow before being eaten. I have both in my YP/SMB pond. Not sure if GSH in a LMB pond may interfere with BG control.

Anybody else have input?

It depends on goals and how you decide to accomplish them. GS are a good forage and do not replace FH. Tilapia are also an option . There is some competition between all of them but mostly each the have a niche . Tshad are also an option but not so much for 3/4 acre. Feeding would be a plus in your situation . BG alone in normal numbers will not sustain LMB over time without proper harvest of LMB.

What's your goal for the pond? Big LMB or big BG or, if yer greedy like me, both!

I am not a pro but, I will offer this as food for thought. GSH have a more desirable fusiform shape than do BG making them easy to swallow. FHM get about 3 inches long. GSH get 7 to 8 inches. If I was a big LMB I would rather have an easy to swallow 8 inch GSH for lunch than having to catch half a dozen FHM or 1 hard to swallow BG. GSH have huge spawns and will also provide food to young LMB the same as FHM.... but GSH are harder for an LMB to catch.

....BUT....

The "traditional" stocking plan is BG, CC and LMB....it is still a successful plan....

Just my 1 cent

The FHM are a "starter" fish. They get the forage base off to a good start and provide some forage for small bass till the BG production ramps. They are not a long term forage solution.

GS are more pelagic (as I unxerstand it - use open water areas) compared to FHM which start out all over the pond but as soon as predator pressure ramps up are relagated to shore line and protected refuge.

In short, they serve different nitches.

+1 I stocked FHM first and still have a few hanging in there 3 years later. I now have GSH, SFS and BNM as the "sustaining" baitfish populations.

Thanks everybody, So I guess to get the best of both worlds I need to put in the FHM now and add the GSH in early spring where I can buy a large amount for a relatively low price.

And Bill, yes I am also greedy. I want large LMB first and foremost but would also love to have nice BG as well.