Bubba, The bluegill are your forage base. They are prolific spawners and the backbone of the upper end your food chain. Water quality takes care of the bottom end of the food chain. Hybrid bluegills offer no advantage. No credible study that I am aware of even claims that they get larger than native bluegills. My PERSONAL belief is that they are nothing but a scam and a dangerous one for those that don't ask the right question like you are doing. Initial stocking numbers? The recipe calls for 1,000 bluegills and 5 lbs. of fatheads per acre. Actually, make that an 80/20 mix of bluegills and redears. You can start with less and count on reproduction as long as you wait later to stock predators. However, that doesn't sound like your goal. Neither was it mine. So, if you want to do it right, start with 1500 bluegills and redears plus about 8 pounds of fatheads. Let them get about 3 spawns and then add predators. BTW, you would do yourself a real favor to subscribe to Pond Boss magazine and buy the book "Raising Trophy Bass". The book answers most of the important questions you are asking and the mag always has things that I am too stupid to consider.
