Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Me again

I tell ya what, this stockin' stuff appears to be a lot of work.

How 'bout you guys consider this scneario for me:

10 acre pond
NE TX
20' max depth


What sort of stocking plan with fish of choice being, crappie, black bass, stripers, sand bass and channel cats would work with the least amount of maintenance. By that I mean, with those choices and using one or all of those types would produce the best results with least effort in maintenance. Please include all forage as well. THanks for all the help.

Is this a newly built pond or an existing pond? Forget about the crappie and strippers (with least effort in maintenance). Instead stock BlueGill and Hybrid stripped bass. I am sure you will get some more profesional help from others, but keep in mind the more information you give us the more we can help.

...please PFF...you gotta work on controlling your trigger pinky. I don't think I could take another round of cheesey spins on: thanx

How many pounds per acre of strippers are recommended? I'm sure any amount would be too many for my pond if you asked my wife. Probably wouldn't overwinter well anyway and would require a lot of management. Couches and tables would make excellent structure for strippers

Brettski-I guess like a Willie Nelson honey, strippers are always on my mind! :rolleyes: :p

I don't spell well at 5 AM!

Oh NOOOO! It's started again brettski, I'm melting!

...close your eyes, tap your heals together 3 times, and repeat after me: "there's no pond like home; there's no pond...."

What's wrong with a coupla strippers in your pond?

Hugh Hefner

Hizzoner,

Its hard to follow those funny posts above, but I'll try to throw out some thoughts...

First, crappie. There are indicators that your chances of having a successful crappie fishery, i.e. one that does not take over the entire pond, are better with your size pond than with smaller ones, but perhaps not good enough. You stated "least effort in maintenance" and from everything I can tell and from neighbors who have them, crappie are HIGH maintenance in small ponds, very HIGH.

Second, black bass...I'll use the term LMB to respond. Not sure of the geo region you are in but you might want to consider the F1 LMB. It has some terrific characteristics that put it above the native LMB and Florida LMB, IMO. However, while much less maintanance than a crappie, they do require some management to make sure they do not overpopulate and stunt, i.e. assuming you want larger LMB. If lots of small ones are ok, then no management at all. I've had those ponds over the years and they are a blast with catching 1 pound LMB on every cast...a blast. That kind of management can be more fun than work.

Okay, SB. I'm not aware of any successful pond fishery with SB, but there probably are some. HSB can be very successful in ponds as long as you are willing to throw the artificial feed at them....the more you feed the larger they get. Feeding is considered a maintenance activity by me....and a very expensive one and potentially harmful to the long term health of the pond depending on how you deal with it(the more artificial feed you introduce the more waste products you have to deal with). Good feeders that are needed for HSB cost upwards of $400 and the high protein feed is also expensive, over $20 per bag in my area. HSB are a very fun fish to catch and great eating, but may experience high angling mortality in hot temperatures, i.e. over 81 degrees

Next, sand bass. Don't know of anyone with them in ponds, but have heard that they will survive, but not reproduce. A marginal choice at best for a small pond....much better choices are available.

CC...I'm not a cat guy personally so will pass on commenting on them except to say if you are after eating and fun to catch, the HSB is a far better "catfish" choice, IMO.

So, what about a combo program that emphasizes low maintenance but good fishing? My thoughts are, again assuming a souther geo, F1 LMB as the primary predator with a few HSB to eat and enjoy, CNBG as the primary year-around forage fish but supplemented by Tilapia during the growing season. Tilapia will do most of the pond maintenance for you...and without chemicals. Other forage would include fathead minnows to get things off to a good start and Gambusia to keep things going great on the low end of the food chain. Add one or two grass carp per acre, and you have a virtually maintenance free pond. It will self-sustain and will balance (except for the HSB which must be fed to achieve good weight gains) naturally if you stock it right to begin with.

One other forage item to consider would be threadfin shad and much later, after the predators have reached larger sizes, gizzard shad. It sounds like you have a pond with sufficient large areas of deep water for the shad to overwinter and again depending on geo area, that would make you a good candidate establishing a threadfin population.

There are an infinite number of combinations of fish you can choose for your pond. This decision is one of the most important ones you will make as far as meeting your objectives for the pond. I would encourage you to read everything you can and make the best informed decision you can, but make the decision for yourself(and family)based on your pond objectives and not what others, who may have different motives and objectives, may advise you to do. Good luck and enjoy the journey.

I hate them brainy types...always showing up the goof-balls by adding something intelligent.
(thanx for bailin' us out, ML)

We can have fun while he does all the work!

I'm in a good mood, just had the hardest rain since I completed my pond. It was 1 1/2" in 45 minutes. Not nearly enoug to get the creek going but I have 100% chance tonight!

Thank you ML!

Please excuse Brettski as he suffers from a 'condition'...PHS..Pointy Hat Syndrome.

His twin/alter ego,Grettski, also has frequent bouts with RPPHT brought on by him pulling up to the self serve island. Yes, folks, the dreaded Recurring Post Pointy Hat Trauma.

(Pursuant to subsequent review and due application of the BM "what were you thinking?" principal, this post has been edited to reflect a preferred minimum level of intellect. The Graemlins will remain unchanged)
...this PHS is killin' me

PFF,

Was it what we could call a toad strangler? The same system is supposed to be here tomorrow morning and I'm really hoping for a good one!

Looks like no good luck for you again, Meadowlark.
Your home state(Mo) and other midwestern states are having all the luck, except for the tornadoes. Still awfully dry at my pond. What level are your ponds?

Burger,

Three ponds are spillway full....those are the ones with lots of acres feeding them. The large pond is still about three feet down. I'm still hoping for a big one tonight...but it is looking less and less likely.

I thought Mississippi was getting lots of rain? You been living right?

posted by ML "I thought Mississippi was getting lots of rain? You been living right?"

Apparently not, ML. I have watched on NWS radar when the rain would part right at the pond. This has happened several times. We got the slow soak mid week, now need the frog strangler.

ML- I only got the 1.5" and all the rest missed me. Not enough to make a frogs fart bubble.

Bm - That happens to me all the time, looks like there is no way for the rain to miss and all of the sudden the clouds part.

pond is brand new...dug a couple of months ago and now completely full

You beat us...only 1 inch here...now about that frog fart bubble. Would that be considered an alternate aeration source?