Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations how many more bluegill to add?

i need some help about how many bluegill to stock. i've looked at our states pond guide, but i still have a few questions.

first, it's a seven acre pond, and as it was filling, the game and fish supplied me with about 600 tiny bass, 600 tiny catfish, and 1000 a little bigger bluegill. i also put in about 20 pounds of fathead minnows at that time. i think the minnows have spawned a few times, and the bluegills at least once because i've caught a couple of good size ones, and a bunch of smaller ones. oh, the initial stocking was late september 2002. now the pond is full, and 24 feet deep or so at the deep end near the dam. i've fertilized, limed, put structure out, and have been feeding aggressively.

NOW, i see a lot of talk about coppernose and other types of bluegill, redear etc. can anyone recommend how many and what other type of fish i should now put in? i want a trophy bass lake by the way. and i am located in northern arkansas. our fishery departments in arkansas have now stopped the free pond stocking program, so i will have to purchase from a supplier. checked with the supplier, and "bluegill" are 30 dollars per 100, and redear are 35 dollars per 100. should i request "coppernose" or what? thanks alot, any advice would be of help. i've read the pond mgmnt. book i bought from pond boss, but haven't read the trophy bass book i bought from pond boss yet, so this info may be in there, maybe i should have looked first!!! thanks. mark

Coppernose are bluegill, and an excellent forage
fish for bass.

i know coppernose are bluegill, but whatabout those i see on here such as hybrids, greensomethings, redear etc....thanks

The "normal" stocking rate that I have heard, read and followed is 1000 bluegill per acre or a combination of bluegill and Redear. Redear, also called Shellcracker, is a snail eating sunfish that clobbers the snails that create the parasites that get into your fish. Green Sunfish are undesirable sunfish. Look for other posts on this site to determine why. If you bring Sunfish from lakes, creeks, etc. you will probably introduce Green sunfish. That ain't real advisable. Bluegill are preferred because they spawn multiple times per year and nothing else does. Coppernose are touted as growing larger than common bluegill but I have not personally found that to be true. Actually, I have not found any indication that the Coppernose or Redear survived in my pond. I think it is hard to beat common bluegill as a forage and catching fish. Stay away from Hybrid Sunfish. You can find plenty of discussion here to explain why.

the typical stocking rate that i have seen most often quoted is 1000 bluegill per acre with 20% of those being shellcracker. those should be allowed to grow for a year and spawn prior to adding any lmb. then add about 75 lmb per acre. you can also add as amny as 50-100 channel cats per acre if you are going to feed and catch them out. they will compete somewhat with the bass though so many readers here do shy away from adding too many of them. everything i have read says that coppernose will grow faster than common bluegill in your state. both should do very well though. decide what your goals are, and do your homework before stocking. plan on feeding, aerating, fertilizing, culling etc. etc. it's the most enjoyable work you'll ever do. good luck, and most of all enjoy! -jb