Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Finally pulled the trigger!

If you get your perch in the spring2020 only buy a few (15%-25%) as 2"-3"YP. In early spring they are last year's mostly males and slower growing stock. Highly preferred are the 4"-6" of the 2019 or prior year class; larger ones are more money but better growing fish and fish, that especially if pellet fed, will be better pellet eaters thus one reason they are the larger sizes. If the Fish farm has 4"-6" ask you you can buy some of the larger ones in their 2019 harvest. Almost always they have some 6"-7.5" ones available fastest growers of that hatching. You need to request these early because they sell out quickly. In spring all the YP are left overs from the previous fall harvest or last year's year class of perch.

If no PS then 100-125 RES and 250-300YP. If not feeding pellets to the YP, then I would reduce total stocked panfish to 200-280 not 400 in 0.5 ac. RES will very rarely eat pellets. Without pellet feeding all panfish will be eating only invertebrates and small FHM(0.5"-1") so, IMO you will get better initial panfish growth with fewer stocked panfish. Plus the panfish will have adequate food resources to make them as better healthy condition through their 1st winter. Current Jan-Feb2020 Pond Boss mag article "Winter Year Class" by ewest aptly discusses this topic.

A pond's invertebrate community can quickly be depleted of the natural foods when over abundant hungry panfish are present. Overall growth then slows.