Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Ready to Stock/Questions

I have a pond that is somewhere in between 1.75 to 2 acres and varies in depth from 10 to 12 feet (by the levee) 4 to 7 feet (in the middle) and 1 to 2 feet (in the shallows). I would say that the water is somewhere in between muddy and clear. I have recently treated it with rotenone and am now in the planning stages of deciding what kind of fish to stock. I would like to stock bluegill, largemouth bass, and channel cat but I have a few questions....
1) Will these three species be able to thrive when stocked together in a pond of this size?
2) Will the channel cats make the pond continue to be muddy?
3) This pond is fairly new 1-2 years old(newly constructed subdivision). What is the likely hood of the pond clearing up on its own as it ages or is it likely that I will have to do something to make it clear?

Thanks,
Ragu

Ragu :

Welcome to the forum. I am glad to see more of our home state posters. The site below is from MSU and covers pond Mgt. in Miss. including your questions. If you don't find the answers you need then repost. There are many here who can help. ewest

http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1428.pdf

1) Yes
2) Channel Cats in reasonable numbers (50-200 per acre) should not cloud up the water, especially if they have food. If you have not read posts on feeding CC in that section of the forum, do so. CC big enough to add to a pond once your LMB get larger are pretty cheap, so I encourage you to be conservative in the initial number of catfish you stock.
3) The most complicated question (IMO). Check out the posts in the "Muddy Water" section. Basically, it depends on your soil type/chemistry. Someone close to you in Miss. with the same or similar soil would have the best guess at this time.

TheBigRagu,

I echo what Theo and EWEST have already posted and would just add a recommendation that you get your pond water tested to determine what you are dealing with. Other neighboring ponds are a good indicator, but even then things can vary a good bit...but a water test will give you the data you need. EWEST can probably tell you, if you don't know, where you can get one from your county.

Do ya'll think his pond is large enough for some HSB as an option, for variety? Surprised you didnt jump all over this one, ML? PS: I got your PM.

BM,

Yes absolutely I think that....but honestly, I've just been beaten to a pulp by all the negative posts on this Forum lately. Okay, pulling myself together...

TheBigRagu,

BM makes an excellent point that warrants your consideration...depends on your objectives for your pond...but if you want a terrific fighting fish, that tastes better than LMB and arguably CC, that will never overpopulate your pond, that grows at astounding rates, you should consider the Hybrid Striped Bass (HSB). They make a great complement to LMB in that they will use the open deep areas of your pond, whereas the LMB will primarily use the structure, shallow areas. They also are a far better choice for your pond than CC, again depending on your own personal preferences.

Do a search on "HSB", read some posts, and make up your own mind....and feel free to ask any questions about them or anything else. Thanks.

Ragu:

I agree with Theo's reply. The reason I suggested you look at the site above is it has suggestions for stocking the 3 fish together( see pgs 7-8) from Miss. fisheries experts, as well as all the pond mgt. basics. I would be conservative on stocking predators both CC and LMB --its easier to add more later than to deal with to many.

I think you should get your water tested and the pond soil tested. The coop. ext. service will do that for minimal charges-- talk to your county agent. If you hit a snag repost. ewest

Thanks so much for the ideas... You all have given me alot to ponder... I have caught those Stipes before on Pickwick (Tennessee River) and they are great fighters as well as delicious. Also, the website http://msucares.com/wildfish/fisheries/index.html provided by ewest contains a wealth of information that should be read by anyone wanting to manage a pond... Thanks again... Ragu