Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations food for bass

I started my pond 3yrs ago. The first year I added fatheads and let them have the run of the pond. They multiplied as expected. The next year I added 300 bluegill, 30 channel, 30 perch. the following year I added 15 large mouth. this all in a pond that is a little larger than 1/2 acre. The bass were added last spring and needless to say it is hard to find a fathead anymore. My question is as the bass are getting bigger do i need to add more food for the bass? If so what? Is it a waste to add more fatheads? Was thinking crayfish(papershell) but then I hear some bad things about them as I have rip rap around pond but late summer the water is below it. I then thought maybe more bluegill. I do feed the bluegill. Any advice would be appreciated. Maybe I have enough, just want to make sure my bass become nice and fat...thanks

If you don't have enough habitat cover the small fish will get eaten before they grow to larger sizes where they serve as a larger food item. For the crayfish to maintain broodstock they require quite a bit of cover-habitat; whole shorelines lined with large rock below the low water level. Add the large rock when the pond is at low level so the rock-concrete is always under water. Rocks piled help add vertical cover. Add more larger panfish to boost the prey predator ratio toward 30:1 will help with keeping the bass growing. You can always reduce the number of predators to help improve prey:predator ratio until you see improved numbers of forage fish. Feeding pellets to the BG improves spawning condition, improves growth of the BG, and increases the number or pounds of fish per area. A healthier BG population improves the predator base. If the stocker BG were not pellet trained you will have to use extra effort to get them to accept dry food.

thanks...think I will get more bluegill

If both LMB and BG are stocked at the same time as fingerlings, to get the LMB to grow quick, the stocking ratio is between 20 and 50 BG per LMB.

Now since the LMB are larger, you have to stock BG that are at least 1/3 the length of the largest LMB in the pond, and I would still stock at least 15-20 per LMB.

Fatheads are there to get the LMB growing fast, and it is common to have them all eaten after the first year the LMB are in the pond. How big are the LMB now?

My guess is add a few 5 inch BG. I suggest you do a seine survey when the water warms (1 mth after the spawn) and see your results. The info provided will go a long way toward answering your questions. See this link about seine surveys and interpretation. Pg 16 on



http://www.mdwfp.com/media/24904/farmpondmanagebooklet.pdf

Thanks. My bass are about 10 inches. Was thinking of getting 3 - 4 inch bluegill

I would hold off until I had more facts like -- watch to see if your LMB spawn at 10 in. this year (or if any of the fish have reproduced i.e. BG ).

I have a bunch of baby perch from the 2 years. And I have seen my bluegil spawn 4 times since I had them. Once the year before the I got the bass, and last year, the bass first year. Could that be enough. I really appreciate the help, just want to make sure bass have enough food as they are they won't eat the pellets