I have to admit that Mr H and I have lost perfect count of the adult Redears and Warmouth we've added to his pond. Our best estimate today is 15 RES and 19 WM. Of course we may have had some of these stockers die in the process of moving, but I don't think the two turtles will let us know if that's true.
How do these numbers sound in a 130 ft X 60 ft X 10 ft deep pond?
I added 4 of the WM this afternoon and just after I did, Mr H can out to visit. I was watching the water as we were talking and I noticed a few of the minnows jumping almost out of the water. The Fatheads are normally pretty active in the early evenings but this caught my eye as a little different. Then I remembered the 4 new WM. They had just been moved from a pond that is very short on forage to one that is teeming with all sizes of minnows. In true Warmouth style I believe these new fish were already preying on their new found bounty.
It doesn't seem logical that after the ordeal of being hooked and transported that they would feed so quickly, but my aquarium experience was similar. I netted a couple of WM out of our creek and put them in a 10 gal tank. I accidentally added a few Mosquitofish as well. Within 10 or 15 minutes the Warmouth were trying to eat the minnows.
Warmouth may not have the fire of a Redear, but what they lack in attitude they make up with a huge appetite and a mouth to match. I see large Warmouth in Mr H's future.
