Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose NORTHERN BASS

ARE NOTHERN BASS A BETTER CHOICE IF YOU PREFER NUMBERS OF FISH TO SIZE OF FISH ? HAVE THERE BEEN ANY CONTROLLED TRIALS OF NORTHERN VS FLORIDA BASS?

Morgan,

You may have read some of the recent posts on the "catchability" of LMB in regularly fished ponds with feeders.

I can tell you from painful experience that Florida strain bass should never be stocked in a small pond with feeders in which you want/expect to catch them. They learn quickly and retain their learning.

Northern bass, a somewhat different story. Much easier to catch, IMHO.

I'm running an experiment this year in a "new" 2 acre pond with F1's stocked with Tilapia, fatheads, and BG. No artificial feeding, no fishing until they grow out.

I'm trying to determine 1) is it the Florida strain bass that makes them hook shy?
2) is it the artificial feeding that contibutes to the bass apathy for lures/flies?
3) should I go with HSB exclusively as my small pond predator and sport fish?