Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Stocking in turbid / muddy water , New pond

What do you mean by treating the water before stocking the spring stocking?

The SMB order can always be cancelled. My advice for fall stocking of predators was primarily based on experience of growing the bass faster and bigger. You can add SMB in spring but do not expect them to grow as fast as if they are added the fall when the pond is brimming with optimum sized forage fish.

To feed stocked larger YP (6"-8") and spring stocked SMbass expect them to each need 3lbs of FHM for each SMB and 0.5lb/YP stocked to produce good growth by fall. Smallies in fall should grow to 0.5lb(9"-10") and YP 8"-10". Keep in mind to add each pound to each fish it takes 10 lbs of fish-inverts as forage. This assumes the smallies and YP are not pellet trained. For this amount of growth to be successful it would take a total initial stocking of FHM of close to 180-210lb FHM which is the pounds of FHM produced by a some stockers in spring. Remember, You want to have a good number of FHM to be still available during winter & spring 2018 for next FHM spawn. Stocking too few FHM with predators in spring will result is a lack of FHM in spring of 2018. Remember you plan to have other fish present (HSB,HBG,RES) that will contribute to eat the newly produced and some older FHM.

Not all your stocked smallies will remain eating pellets. It is common for a good number to go off pellets esp when HSB are also agressively eating pellets.

Your lack of patience could be costly in more ways than dollars in that the fishery from the beginning will not be what it could have been. Decisions are all yours.