Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Hyrid blues and prey

hello guys,

If I am going to look at stocking only hybrid blues and feed them each weekend, what other kinds of feeder fish would work?

I have a pond about 1.75 scres, nothing I have stocked in it yet so I was going to try blue hybrids and any type of producttive feeder fish...the hybrid blues are going in at 5-7", was thinking of a 150 of them?

Thank you,
rain

I'd look at putting out an automatic fish feeder. In my experience, the most trouble free, easiest to work on (if needed) is a Texas Hunter feeder. Set it up to feed daily, when temps are favorable.

Thanks, I agree on the feeder concept, but w cows knocking them over, coons getting in, fire-ants going up the polls, I was looking at the best option for natural predator prey while I was gone, and feeding them pellets when I was there..

Again, I appreciate your help and advice.

I have a friend in Texas that has some livestock on the part where one pond is. They stay out of the water most of the time, and he built a platform that is about 24" tall and 4'-6' square. Placed the feeder on that. Coons don't bother the TH feeder, he coats the legs of the platform with Tanglefoot to keep the ants away. The feeder is attached to the platform with lag bolts, so even if the critters get acrobatic they can't tip it over.

I don't know if they will remember what pellets are if they are only fed on the weekends.

Depending on the size of them when stocked, look into stocking FHM, GSH and CNBG as forage. Let it stew for 6 months to a year, then stock the hybrid cats.

Fathead minnows and Gambusia would be your 2 best options for feeder fish, absent using a good feeder.

The Texas Hunter feeders won't get bothered by a coon, can be bolted down or fenced off from cows, and as for fire ants, those are just part of the Texas scenery now.

Edit: By "Hybrid Blues", are you meaning a hybrid Blue Catfish, or Bluegill??? I was offering feeder fish suggestions for bluegill. Golden Shiners would provide good forage also, but many will quickly outgrow a Hybrid Bluegill's gape size, as would Coppernosed Bluegill. If my pond, I'd rather have the CNBG over HBG....

I am stocking bybrid blue catfish...says they can grow 3-4 lbs a yr and hit topwater - works for me

thank you for your help guys, rain

I knew what you were talking about.

Consider putting the feeder on a floating platform. Fill it when you are there. Feed could last one to two weeks or more depending on how much is fed each day.

My previous suggestion is totally useless for you then...lol

Then I agree with esshup for feed, and feeder fish. I highly doubt you will get half the growth you want without regular commercial feed being given. Automatic Feeders are very easy to mount in safe, various ways!

May seem like an obvious question, but what about BG for forage?

Try it I would also use golden shinners or gizzard shad.

Probably best is golden shinners I think for catfish maybe a better person will chime in

I agree with rainman on only half the growth without daily feed. I would get prey sorted to the size of your HBC small at first FHM/shiners with BG. Once you get average size in the 5+ lb range then consider gizzard shad or tilapia stockings. A few on here have learn the personal disasters of introducing Gizzard Shad.

CNBG = Coppernose Bluegills

What type of problems did/does gizzard shad cause & under what conditions? The fishery just told me 2wks until 4-5" HBC's are ready 150K of them... I was going w 150-175 for my 1.5-1.75 acre pond.

They shouldn't be stocked until there are adult predator fish in the pond large enough to eat adult GS. That means fish large enough to eat 12"-16" (or larger) GS. They have a tendacy to overpopulate and take away food from Bluegills and others. For instance, someone bucket stocked them in a local lake. They now make up 60% of the total fish (by weight) in the whole 365 acre lake.

Re HBC's in the 4-7" size, is there a smaller pellet for them vs the std size when the get bigger?

any pond boss vendors in the Columbus, New Ulm or Bernardo Texas areas?

thx

James, Bluegill would be just fine. Coppernosed Bluegill (CNBG) just grow a little larger and are better acclimated to the warmer water of the South. "Straight" Bluegill are in fact, Northern Bluegill (BG) and can survive being under ice whereas a CNBG can't live long in under even a brief, thin ice covering on a pond.