Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Need help stocking a new 2 acre pond

Congrats on the pond construction, Deerman - here's how I would advise a client regarding stocking strategy based on your goals as I understand them:

Spring 2015:

GSH 250-1000/ac Couple gallons of 3-4" fish with maybe a few larger to pull spawns in Summer would be ideal.

FHM - Be very careful here do not stock more than you can hand verify species ID. I've ruined two fisheries based on FHM stockings...two BG or BH or LMB and your fishery will be altered permanently. Try buying 1000 at a time throughout Summer - smaller batches help you remain focused easier. Try for majority small FHM [1.5-2.5"] as these are likely females or young males. Bull FHM are old males with maybe only a few months of life left - won't do you much good. BE CAREFUL WITH FHM STOCKING!!!!! Do not trust a hatchery/supplier when they say there is zero chance of contamination!!!! In a cool water species pond the balance is too delicate to sustain mistakes.

Grass Shrimp 250-1000/ac Once you get some vegetation established stock some Grass Shrimp. I recommend 250-1000/acre depending on existing fishery and density of vegetation in order to get them established.

Crayfish - I've seen recommendations as high as 1000/ac. I personally have had great success stocking 100/acre to establish population. Crays will help clean the pond, help graze vegetation, and adults will feed YP, SMB, WE, HSB and YOY will help feed your YOY fish population. Be sure to stock a non burrowing species like Papershell.

RES 250-500/ac - Since this will be your only panfish [for now] you can nudge stocking numbers upward. Since you are planning a cool water species pond, consider researching RBS per Travis recommendation.

Fall 2015

YP - 250-500/ac Consider getting them feed trained as I'm not convinced the amount of forage in your fishery for YP will be enough to have them thrive. Your FHM won't last, GSH grow fast and will be out of the gape range for YP fairly quickly, leaving the balance of the year YP relying on invertabrates and YOY RES, which are far less fecund than BG. I think feeding YP will help ensure they perform the way you need them to.

SMB - 25-100/acre Depending on your goals, trophy SMB or plentiful action, you can adjust your stocking rates accordingly. I'd also get these feed trained to help relieve pressure off your forage base. Depending on whether you see recruitment or not, you may need to supplementally stock these fish periodically.

WE - 25-50 I worry a bit about available forage for the WE as I do the YP, but at least trained YP are available which will relieve pressure from forage base for fish that will have to rely on it like the WE. Consider supplementally stocking annually so you have several year classes represented - adjust stocking rates based on annual harvest. My guess is your pond should be able to support a standing population of 100-200 adult WE with 4-6 year classes represented. Your WE will tell the story - if they are slow growing and low WR, you need to cut down on stocking qty or skip a year until things improve. Again, let your fishery dictate your strategy here.

HSB - 10-25/acre HSB are great fighters, good eating, aggressive, and can subsist primarily on feed which helps reduce their impact on a pond. I'd choose HSB over CC in nearly every instance given the option. They taste better IMO, won't reproduce and create a management issue, and can grow fast and large on pellets. I find my SMB and HSB coexist well and hunt/congregate in the same schools and play nicely together. SMB aren't shy about competing for pellets with HSB and get their fare share. HSB also aren't notoriously hookshy like CC - you can catch HSB multiple times unlike CC who should be removed once caught or you run the risk of never catching them again.
I would supplementally stock HSB so you have several year classes represented like the WE. I think 100 HSB would be the maximum your fishery could support and not run into feed $ issues or water quality concerns. Once your females reach 24"+ range in their 5th-6th year, you'll want to start harvesting them as the end is nearing and start supplementally stocking again. Fish body condition and harvest will dictate this schedule, just like with all your species.

Fall 2016

Supplementally stock WE, HSB according to strategy - might need to add some GSH depending on their success.

Fall 2017

Same as above - see how WE and HSB are doing - might need to pause a season, adjust stocking numbers, or adjust feeding if not performing well. GSH stocking?

Fall 2018

Same as above, simmer for a few seasons and listen to your fishery. If you have harvested a lot of YP, you may need to stock again. If you have no SMB recruitment, might want to consider stocking a few annually [15-25] to keep year classes/sizes represented.

Many variables - there's no "right" way, it all depends on your goals, harvest impact, recruitment, fish body condition, angling pressure, etc.

I know you are a CC fan, me too, but consider replacing CC with HSB. CC will be pellet hogs and the chance of reproduction could become management issue. Without LMB I fear there won't exist an efficient predator to manage population. If you must have CC, consider stocking them in the small silt pond as a put and take fishery.

HBCP - I stocked these and so far have not experienced a population management issue although they will reproduce. They will add pressure to your forage base, but do add another species for angling fun and harvest. Largest caught so far in my pond is 15"+.

Hope some of this helps - ask questions for additional details. I think your fishery sounds very exciting!

Finally - if you are going to invest so much time and effort to develop your cool water species fishery, research cost of popping a well to help provide supplemental irrigation. If your water table is high, depth cost will be lower as will pump size needed which reduces cost on pump plus power to run it. You only need 25 GPM to keep up with drought for a pond that size.