Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait How late should I wait to stock FHM this year?

I added 4 clumps of Pickerel Weed along the back bank of my pond yesterday. The Bermuda Grass is coming up nicely along the banks, and the 10 tons of rock I hauled into to stop the wash out from rain runoff is complete.

Now I just have to wait on October to put in my 1,000 BG. I am excited to say the least. The rep at Anderson Minnows told me I should wait for the weather to cool off because of my minnows being shipped from Arkansas to Georgia and the risk of fish kill. I am getting 1,000 small FHM to add in and would like to give them the best head start I can. The pond is empty now besides some bull frogs and the occasional water snake. I just don't want to wait too late and worry about the BG (2 inch) growing fast enough to feed on my FHM.

3/4 acre pond, approximately 6.5 feet

I am far from an expert on this but Ill tell you about my similar plan. I have 2 newly renovated ponds that I want to stock a little differently from each other. So in march I started by stocking both with equal amounts of FHM and GSH. A month later I stock BG (2-3") in one but not the other. Both ponds are about the same size and similar types and amounts of structure (that is not much). I have stocked nothing else since then. The pond with BG has lots of FHM and GSH of all different sizes but nothing even close to the amount that are in the pond with no BG. I believe that because there are no larger BG in the pond they have been spawning almost continuously since about mid-June. My lack of minnows is more than made up for in the thousands of baby BG. So I think if your wanting a LMB pond I would stock the BG ASAP and not worry about the few FHM they will eat. Oh and I also have feeders set up at each pond slinging the same amount and type of feed. Without supplemental feeding I would imagine the minnows would take a bigger hit. Hope this helps!

Your fall stocker young of year BG will not be big enough to eat your stocker FHM even if the FHM are 1" long. Youngster BG (2"-5")crop primarily fish fry at the 1/4" to maybe 5/8" long. BG are not designed to chase swimming forage fish. BG are primarily cherry picker feeders, plucking individual items from the sediments, stones, or stems or filtering zooplankton from the water column.

Thank you both, I just wanted to check because after all the $$$ I spent digging the pond along hours of labor I want the best chance at a good start.

Well I ordered 1,000 small FHM today. They will be here Friday. Also my local hardware store has a deal with Southland Fisheries and they are delivering fish to my area next month so I don't have to drive just to pick up a dozen carp.

wait you added pickerel weed? And now your gonna put carp in your pond? A dozen? Do you have a weed issue? Do you want them to eat the PW you just put in your pond? I'm confused... I guess... A dozen GC will wipe your pond clean just FYI.... I only have 5 in my 1 acre pond and they do a pretty good job.

RC

Are the carp grass carp or common carp?

consider adding grass carp when you actually have a weed issue. Unless you want zero vegetation. I have zero vegetation and feel it is hindering my GSH recruitment. I have been chasing them for two years trying to get them out. SO be careful adding them and how many you add. You might not need them at all or might only need a few if so.

Thanks everyone, so originally I wasn't going to add any. Then I had a local biologist tell me I should consider adding around a dozen, the one of the WRD told me the same thing.

Right now the pond has a little grass at the water line and the Pickerel Weed I just added, I too was concerned they would target my PW. I am going to hold off and wait if I ever have a problem. I guess the good news is if the PW ever gets out of hand I could add the GC?