Originally Posted By: Omaha
Originally Posted By: beastman
Here is an idea I am throwing around...What if I were to stock 50lbs FHM, 4-6" YP, 4-6" RES,4-6" HBG and some HSB 8-12"...given they are pellet trained would 50lbs of FHM have a fighting chance?


I know Cody, TJ, and others frequently advise against stocking huge quantities of FHM at once. I've hand sorted 10lbs before and thought that was rough. 50lbs is a lot of little fish. Not hand sorting your fish, all fish, can lead to hitchhikers, like bullheads or carp. Talk about turbid water now, those species will guarantee it stays that way in the future.

Cody's advise is solid. Always is. Just a little patience is well worth it down the road.


Josh agree 100%...hand sorting high qty of FHM is literally impossible...bound to make mistakes. Invasive species introduction too high risk, you'll never rebound from that error unless you drain seine and nuke and start over.

Stock small/medium FHM at qtys that are tolerable for verified ID. Many of them will be females. Large FHM are typically aged males and could only have a month or two left longevity - great bait but diminished worth for stocking/reproduction goals due to short life left. Consider small shiner species like SFS and BNM. Josh is testament to their benefits as forage, his SMB/YP are pigs.

I would err on the side of caution and consider stocking remaining species [HBG, SMB, HSB] fall of 2018 to enable your forage base to become established, especially if you plan on stocking SFS or BNM. I understand a sense of urgency but you have one shot to make it right...time is a great way to slash your budget and decrease odds of making a mistake during stocking.


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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