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what thoughts do you all that read this forum suggest one do this fall?

my questions: how many more hybrid bass should I stock in October? what stocking size should these bass be?
[there are swarms of shiners and minnows all around the pond]
[to control predator fish numbers stocked hybrid bass; plus these bass fight harder and grow faster; put and take is the plan AND large BG; target size being 1 lb+ -- including redears]

background: pond filled over winter; pool depth 13ft; 50%+ 8 to 13ft deep; 17 stacks of pallets [4 to 5 high] along 200ft of perimeter; most stacks have X-mass trees attached [all weighted down]; total 36 X-mass some along edge of deepest pond area; crushed 3/8"or smaller stone 5" deep along the 200ft run [for spawning beds] 3 feet deep; pond is feed by watershed of 7ac. as of July pond settled to 12 feet deep [evaporation, very little ran]; water chemistry: PH 7.8--8.4 (varies by time); hardness 180+/-; alkalinity 220+/-; Secchi depth kept between 18" and 36", currently 27" [recently fertilized slightly]; pond water is nicely green; feeding about every other day.

stocked as follows:
spring (April)+ (May) stocking FHM & shiners:
20 lb. golden shiners + 20 lb. brooder shiners; added 2 gallon in May
20 lb. FHM standard (April)
20 lb. rose FHM (April); added 2 gallons FHM in May
spring May stocking:
mix of HBG and reg.BG 4" to 7" (about 75 @ 8") quantity 750
Redear BG 3-4" quantity 200
Hybrid striped bass 3-5" quantity 50 [stocked 25 April]
and 25 bullfrog tadpoles [stocked in adjacent wetland pool]

current conditions ~~ Sept. 2019:
feeding swarms of shiners and minnows along with BG; huge numbers of fry along shoreline; can not identify small BG yet -- need to learn and experience more.
the tadpoles [mix of green and bullfrogs] now show legs.
the Blue Heron visits but limited his access by double fishing line around most of the pond; emergent plants starting to show [volunteers];
many BG are now 8" a few 9"
there were dozens of spawning beds all around the pond June
many hybrid bass are now 9" to 11"
one can catch 5"+ golden shiners on small hooks
hoping the hybrid bass grow fast enough to control the numbers of huge shiners eating all the food in the pond
concern is what happens over winter?
over did the habitat?
hoping to have fat BG and bass come spring and have a fish fry

comments and advice greatly appreciated.

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Stepping out on a limb here, but I'll say welcome to the forum first!
It looks to me like you are setting yourself up for potential stunting of sunfish.
Your main predator is non reproducing and "I think" you may need another predator in the stocking plan here.
HSB don't have a huge gape so they will tend to eat a certain size forage that I think is going to leave an opening for escaped sunfish to overpopulate. That first year class of larger BG/HBG/RES are going to GROW big but their offspring may be a different story. A lot of this would depend on how many HSB you cull and how many you replace, Just seems like something is missing.. Maybe a few walleye??
I'll defer to others for consideration.

Last edited by Snipe; 09/09/19 11:18 PM.
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How big is the pond?


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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I was in much the same situation about 17 years ago. IMHO all those Shiners are detrimental to a goal of large sunfish. Given your fish populations and stated goal I would stock LMB, let them eat the Shiners (2-3 years time frame), then continually remove larger LMB to maintain a large number of small bass to thin the BG.

P.S. Large LMB eat just fine.


"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
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thanks for the advice

will put in LMB for handling the larger shiners; my error in thinking the hybrid bass would be sufficient; was concerned with over population of the bass

pond is .85 acres -- in the title, easy to miss.

OK will stock 25 sizable [8--10 inches] bass this October when the water cools; about right number?

caught a 6 inch brooder shiner this morning -- looked heavy with eggs, last spawn before fall? -- there will be loads of food to over winter the LMB and HSB?

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Thank you all for your thoughts and advice.

its been two months and I've made these adjustments:
since no sizable LMB could be purchased in central OH, I caught from a friend's pond 4 LMB about 12/13" [sex??]and stocked them mid-October.
a week later I stocked 30 [4-5"]HSB; most of the HSB are now 12" a few 13/14"; they are consuming shiners up to the 6" size [I know because I caught the shiners and used them to catch the bass -- however using several 7" shiners resulted in several 'tries' by the bass but no catch -- the brooder shiners are too big [good too these can spawn to resupply]

by the end of October the water was cool enough to stock trout; 15 trout were stocked at 12/13"; intent trout to consume shiners and minnows; over winter harvest out the trout = zero by march 2020.

in summary: the approx. predator count for over winter is

50 strippers at 11 to 14 inches
13 trout at 12 to 13 inches [harvested two to the frying pan]
4 LMB at 12 inches
67 total predator fish.

the water temperature a few days ago was 42-43F Secchi depth 36+"
feed fish down to 50F with noticeable feeding [semi-floating]
feed fish [intent was attach the trout] with noticeable feeding
caught a stripper [12"] and a bluegill [8+"] with water temperature hovering 48F in the afternoon, cloudy, but was sunny part of the day
will continue to feed lightly about once a week as long as the water temp 24" below surface is 40+F -- expect most of the food to be consumed by the trout and that's OK

this is the first winter with fish in the pond and a learning experience. plan to use x-mass trees for deep cover in several more locations in the 13 feet deep areas [50+% is 12/13 feet deep and flat]

Snipe: this spring will give me more information and will let you know outcome; by then I hope to have a fish feed installed and fish tagging equipment; yes will start harvesting the Hybrid bass about 50%; and stock 30 more HSB 4-5"

may you all have a great Thanksgiving

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Larger farm raised LMB are available from Remlinger Fish Farm, Kalida Ohio. They grow them for the food market. Delivery is available.


aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
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Thank you very much
will contact them
have a great thanksgiving week

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LMB assorted sizes at Jones Fish
Ready your checkbook.


"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
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Buying fish is like buying lawn trees. You are buying time based on size.


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Remlinger Fish Farm, Kalida Ohio. closed for winter back in September,
yes expect large fish will be costly -- how many needed?

the trout, strippers, and 4 LMB will have to do for the winter.

50 hungry strippers were eating the golden shiners summer into fall, just not those 7" plus brooders; will soon discover if the brooders spawn in the spring and cause a "shiner bloom"

expect all small fry [GB, minnow, shiner, bass] will be pray to several hundred BG (6+"), ~~50 strippers, ~~13 trout, ~~4 LMB...enough to control over population?

the secchi depth now exceeds 3 feet; only a few places for the minnows and shiners to hide: no water vegetation yet; 33 Xmas trees for fry to hide in [only 10-12 of the trees are between 7-12 feet deep]...this might increase feeding success for strippers, trout, etc.

tried a mix of floating/sinking fish food last week on November; there was feeding activity noticed near and at the water's surface; indeed caught and released a 13.5" trout; some small fry were seen in shallows near the boat [in sunlight shadow area]; water temperature 42F+/- a degree.

water chemistry is excellent consistent; pond water level is about 8 inches below full pool;
the wetland next to the pond due to the dry spell this summer though fall has a bit of water and recovering very slowly.

central Ohio has been noticeably colder than normal for the past two months...if this is to continue all winter there will be ice over the pond and concern about sufficient O levels.

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For crying out loud, it is "stripers". Long "I", only one "P".

I can only hold back so long before suggesting you add chrome poles for structure.


"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
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Kinda picky. Aren't you?


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Originally Posted By: Theo Gallus
For crying out loud, it is "stripers". Long "I", only one "P".

I can only hold back so long before suggesting you add chrome poles for structure.

Lmao, I was having a brainstorm,, wondering how much trouble I would get into if I introduced some strippers to my BOW, probably be hosting the next PBF get together.


All the really good ideas I've ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.
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Hoping Lusk would defer to Misti when it’s time to address the conference...there’s only so much I need to know about filamentous algae management anyhow!


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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Certainly typos are humorous.
I love all the craigslist ads around our place wher all the ATVs/Quads are listed with all their pros and cons.

usually on the list of positives they list that the four wheeler comes with a 3500 pound wench.

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Theo, thank you; your correction
is accepted.

just for a little stripper fun:

one old farmer and his pond:

The old farmer had a large pond out back, fixed up nicely with picnic tables, a barbecue pit, horseshoe courts, and some apple and peach trees. The pond was properly shaped and fixed up for swimming when it was built.
One evening, the old guy decided to go down to the pond and look it over. He hadn’t been there for a while. He grabbed a five gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.
As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny dipping in his pond. As he approached, he made the women aware of his presence.
At once, they all went to the deep end.
One of the women shouted to him, “We’re not coming out until you leave.”
The old man frowned, “I did not come down here to watch you young ladies swim naked, or to make you get out of the pond naked.”
Holding the bucket up in the air, he said, “I’m here to feed the alligator.”
Some old men can still think fast!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


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