Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Stocking a new pond with RES, YP and SMB

Very nice yellow perch and expect them to be double in size at 8"-10" by next fall of 2015 assuming they have ample food. Sometimes YP will struggle in a minnow heavy pond when the YP have strong tendencies for eating pellets. Even in 3 acres if noise is made in the pond at feeding time such as splashing water or tapping on the dock or the rocky bottom prior to feeding, this noise will draw in the inquisitive perch from fairly far distances to eventually see the pellets and resume eating pellets. Pellet trained YP are accustomed to looking at the surface for floating food. Be sure to feed high protein (40%-42%) pellets.

In a situation like this I find it is usually very beneficial to use a floating feeding to contain the pellets in a small area 6-12ft offshore so the pellets do not float to shore and become useless to the YP. Feed small amounts of pellets at first until the YP locate the feeding area. Minnows will feed on pellets in the ring and this activity often draws in the YP or other pellet trained fish. YP have schooling tendencies. Once a few perch find the pellets it does not take very long for remaining fish to find the feeding area. When YP find the feeding area, most of them will not stray far from this buffet area. Try to feed at the same time every day and feed at times similar to when Cecil feed these perch. YP are pretty strong creatures of habit tendencies.