I'd planned on picking up SMB, YP and a few WE and HSB from a hatchery in north Missouri, to stock into a year-old, 1/2-acre pond. But the hatchery manager called me yesterday to say that SMB are not available this year.

I checked with the other two Missouri hatcheries I know of that carrry SMB, and they don't have any this year, either.

I'm tempted to forget about SMB and just stock LMB and a few WE and HSB. The pond already has FH, GSH, BG, RES, crayfish and a few CC. There are a lot of flooded trees around the edges, providing lots of "bassy-looking" cover.

How would SMB handle a 5- or 6-hour drive from a hatchery in Iowa, if I can find one? They'd have to make the trip bagged with oxygen.

Big bluegill are fun to catch, especially on popping bugs. I'm really thinking hard about stocking LMB and letting them keep the BG population at a trophy level.

Last edited by Missouri Bill; 10/02/12 11:54 AM.