Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Would this work?

AS some of you may know im planning on making a Trophy Bass Pond in Southern Georgia. So far heres the stocking list.

F1 Largemouth Bass
CNBG
Threadfin Shad
Golden Shiners
Fathead Minnows
Crawfish

All for a 5-10 acre pond. So my question is, would Tilapia be beneficial? They breed often, so more food for monster fish right? But woudl they overpopulate? Or could I stock all the fish, wait like 1-2yrs and then stock some Tilapia?

I would just leave out the golden shiners though. the Threadfins will produce plenty of forage. The Crawfish might get completly wiped out after a couple of years so plan to restock. I would put the fatheads, Threadfins and CNBG in 6 months ahead of every thing else and let them get a head start.

As for the Tilapia last time i checked they were still illegal to stock in Georgia. But no they wouldn't overpopulate because they Die when water temps drop below 55 Deg.

Stock the fathead minnows, golden shiners, crawfish and CNBG in the spring of one year. I would also recommend some redear sunfish in the mix. Give it a year and then you can add the bass. I would add 150 F1, 50 northern and 50 Florida largemouth per 5 acres.

Just to present the other viewpoint...

There are very knowledgeable and experienced pondmeisters on here who espouse and swear by waiting a year between the stocking of forage and the stocking of LMB. But there are also those of us who feel that that approach is unnecessary and has not been scientifically proven to be better in terms of LMB growth, either short-term or total. Certainly you can get a pond full of forage much cheaper with the waiting approach, as the forage have time to spawn (bluegill and FHM multiple times) before the bass enter the pond. But if you don't mind spending more initially, you can get growth just as rapid, and sustained, by stocking the forage in heavy quantities (1500 or more bluegill per acre, for instance, which you would never do in a pond in which big bluegill were desired) at the same time as the bass.

Good luck either way and keep us posted on your progress!

So Tilapia would NOT be beneficial because FHM and CNBG already spawn soo much correct? In my pond i will also make alot of wooden pallets in 3ft and less water so i will have FHM for a longer time than normal then build a small pond only 4ft deep and raise my own FHM so i can add more when i feel there down.

I'm pretty sure Tilapia are illegal in GA.

Tilapia would be beneficial if you're after trophy bass, but if they're illegal it may be a moot point.

You can't have too much forage in a pond managed for trophy LMB. Certain species such as bluegill and shad will hurt LMB reproduction if present in large numbers, but that's okay because you want fewer bass anyway so the ones that live have a smorgasbord 24/7.

All of the species of forage you have listed would be a good idea for a pond that size, with your goal.

you make a good point Walt. i wish they werent illegal and i totally overlooked that. might have to find another fish or just try what ive got so far

If big LMB are your goal, don't hesitate to stock GSH; they'll make a big difference. Threadfin would also help.