Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Channel cats, friend or foe?

I have a new (drained and redug the .50 acre pond last March).75 acre pond Only stocked FH and Shiners last fall. I have a swimming pond suggested stocking slecetion from the Jones fish hatchery. I put a couple 12"X 6' culverts (sp) covered in stones at about -6' from the surface before it filled up. Jones does not recommend Channel cats if you have a spawning habbitate.
Anyone have any infor on this?
The pond is 11' deep with 2 fountains and soon to have a bubbler. I want to eat the fish out of the pond as often as possible.
Thank you and sorry about the spelling.
Ron

CC can and will spawn in ponds given suitable structure. The level of recruitment (fry living to adulthood) resulting from this depends on the predation other fish in the pond provide. Usually very few CC (which are quite vulnerable as fry) live long enough to mature.

I have had a noticeable (although not really objectionable) amount of CC recruitment in my pond, where they have plastic and ceramic tiles plus rock piles to choose from as spawning structure, and there are LMB, BG, RES, and GSH to eat the CC fry.

What other fish do you plan on stocking besides FHM and GSH? What fish do you plan on emphasizing?

Ron, I love CC in a pond; especially as a food fish. Catch and eat them at 1.5 to 2 pounds and restock when they start running low.

I have no idea why anyone would not recommend CC due to overspawn. I've never heard this before by a hatchery or fish seller.

FWIW Jones' Swimming Pond Stocking recommendation (2007 catalog) is for:

FHM
GSH
LMB
HSB
RES
GC
and Bullfrog tads

They notably exclude BG/HBG, to reduce nibbling. (While I have seen reports on this, my family has not experiencing any nibbling from our BG or other fish. Sometimes scared Shiners will jump out of the water and into your head, but that's kinda neat.)

I did not see any mention of why no CC. We have lots of CC in our pond and have never encountered them while swimming. I think they're pretty shy.

Thanks for the information. Jones was worried that I provided too much spawning structure in the pond which would encourage major spawning. Jones was also worried about the CC stirring up the bottom causing muddy water. Don't get me wrong. Jones has been fantastic to work with their great people. I tend to seek too much information before I take a decision. I pretty much sticking with their recommendations. IE
FHM
GSH
LMB
HSB
RES
GC
and Bullfrog tads
With the following deviations
25% BG, and about 12 Black Crappie.
We had white crappie in the pond as it was when we bought the farm and they were never a problem, however we did have a large LB (5 or 6 over 18�) population.
I noticed the algae coming on strong already so I�ll start the fountain this weekend.
Thanks a million.

Mr. Gallus,
How large is your pond?
I keep asking my wife for cattle, but she said "if it poops or eat your not getting another one" I wonder if she is refering to my children?
Thanks for you help.
Ron

0.9 acre.

We have been really happy with the fish we've gotten from Jones'.

Theo,

Just a side note. We have HBG in our 0.5 acre pond in SE Michigan. They have been know to nibble swimmers on occassion. They will nibble on toes as we climb up the swim ladder. Last summer my son had some High School Seniors over and two of them came out of the pond with sore nipples. One of thme was bleeding even. Now it must not of hurt that much cause everybody was laughing. We also have perch, bass and catfish but I don't think it is any of them doing the nibbling.

Ouch. I'm glad my fish only like me as a friend.

:D

OK Folks is everyone paying attention! This pond is in Michigan, not California. I only mention this because I know that if you heard about nipple biting fish you would immediately assume that if something that weird was happening it must be happening in California.

So to recap...

Reported Nipple Biting Attacks by Fish:

Michigan = 2

California = 0

That's all, carry on.

(Oh and before you say it there is absolutely no evidence that the excess number of nipple piercings in California is scaring away the fish therefore skewing the above documented statistics.)

with these types of statistical analyses, i can finally convince my wife this is a "scientific forum" and not just another chat room.....