Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat A little structure on this forum please?

Bout 3" is about right. One thing to keep in mind if you raise or stock any is the female tends to be a little smaller than the male. So if you pick out or buy only the largest minnows, you might be selectively choosing males. For breeding purposes, make sure there is a mix of larger and not so large individuals.

I trapped some just yesterday, and the biggest males were all in their breeding regalia with lots of body shade variation.

I have noticed, especially at night, around the shore line in half inch water to a few inches the juveniles like to stay. I rarely see an adult FHM up in really shallow water unless there is feed and they come to the feed. But the juvies will be in shallow water day and night. That is how you will know you had a spawn. Start seeing lots of tiny half inch fish around the shore line. First year I mashed up sinking fish food and put around part of the shore line for them. Later I found all I had to do was put some pellets in the shallow water. The baby FHM's will peck at it lightly, then eat more as the pellet softens, then usually by then their adult brethren have found the pellets and there is a feeding frenzy going on.

It is going to be interesting to me to see how this behavior changes as my fingerling LMB get going and wipe them out. I am curious, with all the habitat for breeding and refuge I have provided specifically for FHM, how long I can make them last before they are all gone. Once they are mostly gone, hopefully the forage pond will be going strong and can supplement any population left in the big pond.

Someone will likely ask "why all the trouble for FHM's?" (They already have ask that). Dunno. What is a hobby for??? I just took a shine to them I guess. Also, seems like feeding FHM to the LMB ought to be at least as good if not better than feeding LMB targeted pellets. So I will feed the feed to the FHM's, and feed the FHM's to the LMB. At least that is the plan. Sometimes plans change.