Bill & Bob,
Thank you for all your comments and suggestions, they have not fallen on deaf ears. I want to do what is best for this pond and for the fish. And after soaking up all the great info from everyone I think I am going change my game plan alittle.
First, let me address a few concerns brought up. The bass I will be getting are of great quality and the ponds they are coming from are very well maintained. This is not a situation of emergency harvest due to overpopulation and they are not all coming from one pond but from 5 different ponds all managed by the same person.
The pond although in a new develpoment only has six houses that back up to it with the rest of the pond being surrounded with woods (that will not be developed). I think the amount of fishers will be limited since there are other, more easily accesable ponds already established near by. However the occasional stranger may appear. I think there will more of a problem with fish being harvested inappropriately than depositing other fish, although, it may happen.
The "minnows" that are currently in the pond have not yet been idenitfied yet. I plan to throw a net this weekend and see what I can find out. I do not think these fish were planted by another person, more likely naturally inserted by ducks and birds. However, I do not want them in the pond and am hoping the adult bass will gobble them to extinction.
My goal for this pond is mostly sport fishing and occasionally fishing for food. The ultimate goal would be TROPHY bass but I think this pond, lack of money, and the uncontrollable circumstances will not allow for such. I am looking for a good fishing pond.
Okay, with all of that said here is my revised plan. I am now planning on cutting the number of bass in half or more (50-100). Also I intend to stock the bass slowly (ten here, ten there) not all at once. Before the first batch and inbetween each batch stocked I plan to stock a large number of adult bluegill. That way I can closely monitor the bass-to-bluegill ratio. With multiple spaws from the bluegill and thealready present "minnows" hopefully this will be a good balance (not perfect, but good). Any more thoughts?
