Originally posted by Brettski:
ML, you are one of the posters here that I hoped would provide input, experience, and opinion. Take what you know of my desires, my project, and my midwest location and tell me what YOU would do.
Okay Brettski, your wish is my command...straight talk.
Here is what I would do. First, I'd forget about the backbreaking labor to add rocks and gravel at this point in your project....a waste of time and energy in my considered opinion. You have already done enough, more than enough structure. Changing course over to a SMB pond that mimicks the strata they normally encounter/prefer is highly questionable in terms of rewards to you, unless SMB have always been the love of your life, your passion, and you just have to have the very best SMB pond in the mid-west.
Second, I'd really concentrate on the forage base for the next growing season. I would include FH minnows for a quick start and would also include Gam's for a long term self-sustaining low maintenance source of forage. I'd also look for other long term self-sustaining forage, perhaps golden shiners but I don't have enough experience with them to give a full endorsement.
Third, I would stock the very best quality genetics that I could find BG/RES in an 80/20 ratio.
Let all these critters thrive and grow all next growing season. Then, next fall add your YP in whatever amounts you like, add some SMB in small numbers...then, also in the fall, stock the mainline predator HSB.
I would use the HSB to be the principle controlling/balancing agent over the BG. If stocked properly, i.e. in the right mix, you will have a very low management pond with some quality fishing.
If you subsequently decide you want to up the ante and have more of a "sport" fishing pond with larger HSB and BG, simply set up a couple of automatic feeders and feed the HSB and BG. Otherwise, don't even bother with the feeders and the constant maintenance and hauling expensive feed which isn't the best for your water quality anyway. I don't see many artificial feeders in Nature.
With this approach, down the road, if you start drinking Lone Star beer and suddenly get the urge to fish for LMB, you can add them and reduce the HSB numbers....or go to a near-by public lake and get cured of that urge.
In solving an equation, we try to reduce the number of unknowns. HSB do not reproduce. That eliminates a big unknown that you may have with other predators. In looking for a good system in a somewhat dynamic environment, we strive for the ability to make adjustments with predictable outcomes...seeing too many BG, add more HSB...seeing too few BG, reduce the HSB.
If I lived in your climate and had your goals, as best I understand them, this is what I would do. In fact, its what I would do in my climate, except HSB have shown me to be intolerant of my water quality/climate combination. Instead, I have to go with a different primary predator and different forage system.
One last thought, for the if I was in your shoes response. I'm not sure about pond vegetation in your area nor the nutrients you are likely to have in the water system. I think I would kind of talk around to some neighbors to find out if they have weed problems or bad algae problems. If I had the least bit of doubt, or indicator of possible weed problems, I would stock one or two grass carp per acre next spring as pre-emptive preventive maintenance. I would also look very carefully at those who try to get you to fertilize your pond...again, staying with your disdain for "sport" fishing, why would you invite all the potential problems that fertilizer can bring to achieve something you do not even strive for?
There you go...you asked for it...I gave it, in sincere, straight as I can words based on my experience and my attempted understanding of your objectives.
