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Good afternoon guys!

I just bought a property with a pond on it and I'm getting it stocked finally. Had an inspector check out my quarter acre pond to see how many of each species I can put in it.

My question is, how long will it take for the fish (bluegill in particular) to grow into adults?

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"Grow BG to adults". What do you mean by 'adult'. One that is able to reproduce as an adult or one that is 7"-8" or 9"-10" long??? Stunted BG can reproduce at 3"-4" long! Don't say harvestable nor cleanable. I know guys that clean 5.5"-6" bluegill. There is a big difference in all three sizes of adults. So for adult, what length are you talking about AND importantly what size are the initial stocker BG, fry 0.5", fingerling 2"-3" or juvenile 3.5"-5"? A 5"-6" BG have have a one full year head start on size compared to stocking 1" BG. Size of stocker BG can mean a lot to how fast they get to 8"or 9".

Also tell us what the "inspector" said about how many fish to put in it?
Also we want to know:
1. Are you going to aerate the pond?
2. Are you going to feed the fish pellets. Quality and protein content of pellets helps determine how fast the fish grow. Feed the very best fish food for the very best growth.
3. Are you using hybrid bluegill(HBG) or regular pure strain bluegill(BG)?? Do you know the difference.? Read through this link for a HBG discussion.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=256325#Post256325

Also read this one about growing BG
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=189988#Post189988

Importantly does the pond have any type of fish in it? Have you tried fishing it or set any bread baited minnow traps to see if small fish are present??
If it is a pond older than 2 yrs, I will guarantee there is some type of fish in it. One way or another something or someone has but fish in it; even if it was the infamous "bird, heron, stork, stockers". There are several big unresolved discussions here about those "sneaky birds"!

Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/11/20 08:51 PM.

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Originally Posted By: Bill Cody
"Grow BG to adults". What do you mean by 'adult'. One that is able to reproduce as an adult or one that is 7"-8" or 9"-10" long??? Stunted BG can reproduce at 3"-4" long! Don't say harvestable nor cleanable. I know guys that clean 5.5"-6" bluegill. There is a big difference in all three sizes of adults. So for adult, what length are you talking about AND importantly what size are the initial stocker BG, fry 0.5", fingerling 2"-3" or juvenile 3.5"-5"? A 5"-6" BG have have a years head start on size compared to stocking 1" BG. Size of stocker BG can mean a lot to how fast they get to 8"or 9".

Also tell us what the "inspector" said about how many fish to put in it?
Also we want to know:
1. Are you going to aerate the pond?
2. Are you going to feed the fish pellets. Quality and protein content of pellets helps determine how fast the fish grow. Feed the very best fish food for the very best growth.
3. Are you using hybrid bluegill(HBG) or regular pure strain bluegill(BG)?? Do you know the difference.? Read through this link for a HBG discussion.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=256325#Post256325

Also read this one about growing BG
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=189988#Post189988

Importantly does the pond have any type of fish in it? Have you tried fishing it or set any bread baited minnow traps to see if small fish are present??
If it is a pond older than 2 yrs, I will guarantee there is some type of fish in it. One way or another something or someone has but fish in it; even if it was the infamous "bird, heron, stork, stockers". There are several big unresolved discussions here about those "sneaky birds"!


My apologies for the vague post as I'm not a fishing person. Upon getting the property I saw some very small bluegill in there. The pond has been there at least 10 years. I got some of the local fisherman to go there to fish this past summer and both caught nothing.

As far as what I'll be feeding the fish, the company that I'm getting the fish from didn't tell me much. They only mentioned putting minnows in the pond so the fish can grow.

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PLEASE PLEASE!! do NOT stock any fish in the pond till you have had time to read many more posts about this topic on this forum and you have had a lot of time to think about your end goals. There are very important steps that need to happen before the fish truck arrives.

If the fish company is only selling you fish then you need to find someone else to help you plan the future of your pond, someone with experience and someone who doesn't profit from selling you fish.

Any fish you put in that you are paying for may be instant 'lunch' for the fish that may already be in there. You need to research what you can about the history of the pond, look at satellite maps of what the pond looked like over the past 10 years, and decide how deep it is. Is there inflow and outflow for water (and fish) into the pond? How much does it fluctuate from high water to low water lines?

Ideally you get in a boat and map how deep it is with a weighted line.

Then do the fish kill off in the winter or not?

THen you need seine net or minnow nets or some way to sample what is there already. If you have largemouth bass (or worse, catfish) in the pond already then you might be facing a prospect of erasing all the fish and starting over so you can meet your goals.

Then if you are like most pond owners you want big fish right away, but if you read posts from those who are the happiest about their ponds right now they are the ones who did not put anything in until their full complement of forage fish (minnows, crustaceans, scuds, shiners, etc) had a full season or more to fill the pond with food. Then they introduced the next size larger fish (panfish) and lastly the top predators.

You can feed fish for fun but you are better off letting the fish food sources (live forage) reproduce on their own and create a self-sustaining population.

It is hard to search in this forum using the built in search tool. Instead do a google search for 'pondboss and forage' or 'pondboss stocking plan' or 'pondboss when to stock' and you will find many good options to read.

If you have a chance to do it right at the beginning it is a win win for everyone especially you and the youngsters.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/11/20 08:40 PM. Reason: U & youngsters
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canyoncreek speaks from learned experience. Know what you want and a specific plan to achieve your GOALS when you go to the fish farm or place an order. They often sell fish with the result you come back often to restock because they did not sell you a good balanced type of fish for YOUR GOALS, it was usually & mostly their goals of eventually selling more fish. The homework assignment for you is learn here what your different fishery goals could be, then get guidance here how to achieve it. Our goals here are to teach and help you to have the best fishery for your family and to not sell you fish.

Your second homework assignment is to get yourself a wire minnow trap (Best one is called Gee), bait it with old bread &/or pet food. Plus Get a tiny %10 or 12 hook and slender bobber with a pinch of earthworm. Fish along the shoreline 2-4ft deep and catch several of the adults that produced those little fish that you see. You might not be able to easily catch them until the water warms in April. Take good, clear, close-up pictures of the fish and post them here or email a couple to one of us. We can then tell you what fish species are most common in your pond.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/11/20 09:00 PM.

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To me, the first step is getting to know the pond. Observe, fish, and log everything. You’ll be surprised what you will learn. Only then, should you order fish if needed.


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.

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Might I also suggest using can kernel corn on a tiny hook to sample small fish if worms are not readily available.Here in deep east Texas I know my bluegill love it.


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Originally Posted By: canyoncreek


If the fish company is only selling you fish then you need to find someone else to help you plan the future of your pond, someone with experience and someone who doesn't profit from selling you fish.


I agree with everything that was said with one exception. If the company selling the fish isn't making a profit then they won't be around very long........

The key is to find a company to buy fish from that has your interests and goals in mind, not strictly their bottom line.


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).

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