Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose BASS GROWTH

I have a newly constructed pond that I stocked in April. It is 1 @1/3 ac in size. I stocked 300 channel cats from 4 to 8 inches long, 200 red-ears; 400 coppernose from 1inch to hand size and 125 large mouth bass(native/Florida mix). I feed daily and am seeing cats about 10in to 14 in in size. I have caught some bream on a barbless hook and released that are hand size. I have never seen the bass to this day since stocking(were 2 inch long). When should they make an appearance and how long do you think they are now(checked for several days after stocking and did not see any dead ones). I put in about 10000 fat heads at time of stocking for a forage base. Any advice or comments appreciated.

Correction to above, stocked in October 2004. Sorry.

When you say "newly constructed,", how long was the pond finished and filled before the fish were stocked? The "volunteer" invertabrates that were in the pond at the time of stocking would have been all the bass had to eat until the fatheads and/or larger BG spawned (I am not real sure whether that would have been last year or this year in Louisiana, up here it would definitely be 2005). And the LMB would be competing with the BG and RES for that food source.

I believe you would be catching the LMB if they were present and had reached 6" in size. We were hauling in ours on worms by the time they were that big. But I am uncertain about BG and FH spawning possibilities for 2004 after October down South. Hopefully a Southern expert will have a good idea how much food your LMB have had available since stocking.

The pond was completed and filled in Sept. 2004. Fish were stocked about one month later.

I'm thinking the 8 inch Channels may have had a snack on the F1's at 2 inches. In a small pond and that many fish the Cat's might have just got real hungry before the feeding got started or they may have prefered meat to eat. I hope that isn't the case for you.