I have a pond that of the better part of 10yrs was under constuction (it was dug of free for gravel). For the last 2-3 years it has been done we have lots of frogs and minnows in there. This year is our first fish stocking. The pond on one half is 10+ feet deep the other half is 5-8ft. The deep half has rock piles and a deep trench, the other half is void a few rocks but i am going to drop some cribs and pine trees. any sugestions??
my qusetion we are stockin 600BG ang 60 walleye. Hatchery was out of LMB will get them in the fall. Will walleye spawn?
Thanks in advance
Welcome to the forum! Glad you found us...
What are your goals for the pond? Depending, you may want to change your stocking strategy...
As far as if the walleye(WE) will spawn... They most likely will spawn, as to the likelihood of their eggs successfully hatching, very limited. Less than 25% chance. If their eggs do successfully hatch, the odds of those fry turning into fingerlings and then into WE big enough to actually be caught, less than 5%, particularly with LMB present...
Take some time to look around the forum. The archives section is invaluable. Plug in searches in the search engine for info one WE or yellow perch(YP) or even smallmouth bass(SMB). Decide if you really want BG in your fishery... BG can be very challenging to manage in a northern pond.
What types of minnows do you have in the pond? Ones you stocked or did they naturally appear? If you indeed only have minnows, you have many options with how you stock your pond.
I am also curious what minnows you have already present in your pond. If you haven't stocked fish, how did they get there. That could present a challenge potentially and change your future stocking plans.
The minnows are fathead and some horn-day chubs i woud say some are natural and extra fishing trip minnow. the last few times we went fishing used minnows out of the pond.
The goals of the pond are fun fishing and balanced, not looking to grow trophy fish. gettiing WE because they were out of SMB and LMB.
Why is BG hard up north?
Bass in northern waters have a hard time keeping up with the BG. How do you catch your minnows? Trap, net, seine? Could you collect a few and photograph different ones? Just want to make sure you have good species in the pond... Once we establish what you have, we can put together a good plan...
Is your area in the southern 1/3 of Wisc?
CJ, 'bout smack in the center. If memory serves me right, about 6ish miles WSW of Stevens Point, my alma mater (UWSP).
Yes I am 20min west of stevens point. All the minnow i have caught were in a trap they all look like fat heads some of the bigger ones have small bumps on there head.
That's a good sign that all you have are FHM then... The bigger ones iwth "bumps" are males. The bumps are known at tubercles.
OK, so... To get you a good stocking plan. Do you absolutely have to have LMB and BG, or would you be open to a slightly different fishery?
I am picking up BG's in a few days. LMB are open to change I would like YP too just not 100% on what would work. I am open to change just BG is locked in.
I just remembered that there are leeches and lots of frogs on the pond too.
If you absolutely have to have BG, then you need LMB. LMB are really the only species that can successfully control BG.
Have you already placed your order for the BG where you cannot get out of it? If you haven't, you may want to hold off on stocking the BG just yet. Stocking BG before LMB in northern ponds usually leads to the BG getting way too large of a head start on the LMB. They spawn way too much with no LMB big enough to prey upon them. You end up with many BG getting too big for the small LMB to prey on. Those BG stock pile at 4"-5" and stunt badly. They then prey upon LMB eggs and fry, leading to poor recruitment of LMB.
I'd try to stock the LMB with the BG and preferably before your BG... Let me know what you have going on and we can work with it.
I did order BG and locked in there were no LMB left of i would be put them in at the same time. Picking them up from keystone tomarrow what size bass should be added this fall when I can get some from them??? 3-5" or 5-7" should I get a few big guys too 8-10?
also when LMB are stocked should I get more FHM?
No
They will only serve as a quick snack for the lmb
Try to get other forage established
I would get the largest size, 8"-10". I would stock, 30 per acre. Which would work out to 105.
I have a ton of frogs in there and lots of minnows they are every were. What about golden shinners? There is a very wide variety of forage now with no real preditors in yet. I was going to get LMG 5"-8" at about 100 total fish. I have good forage I think just looking on broadening the base. I placed a minnow trap over night and had 150+ minnows in it.
Thanks for all the opinnions and advice