Good to know on why you put the FHM in the year prior. I don't think i'm that patient. What'd be wrong with adding more FHM's later in the year....and/or more next year if the concern would be that the initial batch was all eaten?
Give your forage minnows a summer to make babies. You can buy them forever at $10/lb, or you can put $50 worth in and let them make $1000 worth of new ones. That's not to say adding minnows later is a bad thing, but 10lbs of FHM tossed into a pond with predators will be gone before you know it. If you have a spot to build a forage pond you can grow your own for a constant supply.
I had originally planned to install RES and YP this spring at the same time my minnows went in. Due to weather and water conditions no RES or YP went in, but the minnows did. 45 days later there are literally clouds of minnow fry everywhere, with new clouds showing up about every ten days.
I'm thinking losing a growing season for the panfish will be more than made up in growth rates after they go in, and my spending on pellet feed will be minimal next year due to the ridiculous number of minnows that are in there.
