Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Several questions about existing pond

My in-laws built a 1.5 acre 20 foot pond in Southern Ohio this spring and stocked it with approximately 1000 fish (2-4 inch LMB and different kinds of BG). It is fed by storm run-off from the adjacent hills. The pond seems to be doing great, as some of the LMB are as big as 6" and the BG are big and fat (fish are pellet fed twice daily by an automatic feeder and hand fed occasionally). We are already seeing what appears to be 2nd generation fish, as there are some small 2" LMB and smaller BG.

A couple questions:

1. We were looking at potentially adding SMB at some point. Would this be an issue? Would they survive ok with the LMB and BG based on their spawn cycle? Should we add bigger SMB so that they mirror the size of the LMB (and don't get eaten by the bigger LMB)?

2. How often to BG spawn? I thought they only spawned in June. However, there appear to still be several beds with BG still sitting on them. Is it possible they spawn more than once?

3. Has anyone had good experiences with bug zappers/bug stunners? I have seen them online and thought it would be a great idea to help get additional food to the fish. There are tons of bugs around the pond as it is surrounded by woods.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

LMB and SMB don't normally do well together, at least not in the long run. Typically, the LMB out-compete the smallies.

In your area of the country, BG may spawn 2-3 times over the course of summer.

There are menbers here who use the bug zapper/stunners, hopefully one will chime in.

Opinions as answers:
1. IMO adding SMB would be a waste for two reasons. Additional reading here will verify my comments. SMB do not do well with BG as the main forage unless you are willing to do a lot of extra manual management. Secondly SMB are not very compatible with LMB especially in a smaller pond. SMB even struggle to maintain good numbers in lakes with LMB present. It is a strong competition thing. SMB will not produce a successful spawn in ponds when LMB are present. If you want to maintain the presence of SMB they will have to be periodically restocked as 10" individuals - very hard to find and very expensive. Spend your efforts on managing the current stocking as a quality fishery which will take a concerted effort if you want well balanced quality fish for the long term.

2. BG in OH will spawn as late as end of August due to a few reasons.

3. Bug zappers will work good to provide extra food for panfish and some smaller bass. Be aware that most regular bug zappers ruin (fried) many of the bugs during the killing process. Look into buying a special bug feeding device for fisheries such as the Will O the Wisp. http://www.aquaticcontrol.com/index.php/other-supplies/equipment/will-o-the-wisp.html.