Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose YP in Florida?

Putting the cart way before the horse here, but I am already thinking about different fish to stock

As a kid in Wisconsin, I fondly remember catching YP and SMB from our local lake. I think I already know the answer (Wisconsin ain't Florida and vice versa) But how about stocking these in north florida?

Thanks,
gallop

YP have a very wide natural range in North America and with that I am sure comes natural adaptations to the local environment. YP are native to the western portion of the FL pan handle. If you got YP with genetics from that area, I am sure they would do fine in your part of FL...

SMB are native to northern Alabama. If you were able to get SMB that have the genetics of that area, you maybe able to get them to survive in your pond. I doubt they would do very well though. Even in northern ponds SMB struggle to compete with LMB and within a short few years are usually extirpated from a pond all together when competing with LMB. No doubt, a YP SMB pond in FL would be unique!

CJBS2003

Thanks for the reply, I had no idea about YP in the panhandle, and that is only a few hours away.

From reading other posts I had already decided that if SMB were an option, I wouldn't put in LMB.(I know, you can't have a pond in the south and not have LMB,BG,and CC) I also wouldn't put any BG or RES in because of the YP.

I think when I say Florida, people automatically think south Florida (Miami) Gainesville is north fl and can get cold, it was 17 fri night, and unlike Miami, Gainesville is still part of the United States, so I won't have to pay international shipping cost

So far I really like the idea of SMB, YP, plus forage fish. Unless someone shoots it down, and by all means please feel free

The water temps would also seem to be an issue for my proposed plan, especially spawning temps IIRC, comments?

Thanks,
gallop

I gather from another post that your pond is a new one. I think without LMbass, smallies will survive in your pond even in northern FL (see my upcoming article about temperature myths and SMB in the Mar-Apr 09 PBoss magazine). Your pond stocking will be a very good test subject. Start by using golden shiners & fatheads as forage fish. Some or a few redear sunfish (RES) might also be possible but over time you may have to occassionally help the SMB keep the RES under control. I suggest selectively thinning the RES of sizes from 3.5"-6", rather than the 1"-3".

My experience is, I doubt that YP will survive in your regional climate (too hot, too long), but you can try a YP stocking with the SMB, minnows, shiners. I would try to locate some YP from somewhere in the Carolinas or similar latitude or as far south as you can find them (FL panhandle then stock wild natives?). If from a hatchery, ask if they were raised at the hatchery or brought in from more northern location. That info will be helpful.

Bottom line the smallies will have a better chance surviving than the YP in your region. If you pellet train the SMB and YP you will get much better success (sizes). I like to hear about it when I am wrong; that way I learn. If you are successful, I may stop by for a visit when I am in FL. If the smallie stocking does not work then add the LMB, but keep the LMB out until they are not surviving or you want the smallie numbers to decrease; then add LMB. They will then take over.

PS - Keep us posted as to your pond progress.

Bill,
Thank you for all the helpful info. You are more than correct about my pond being a new one, it is still in my head. Just getting overly excited about the possibilites to come

Thanks,
gallop

Gallop,

You should ask Cody to send you some recent pics of yellow perch he has caught in one of his ponds. He's doing something many people are skeptical about: growing trophy size yellow perch with few predators. Many people that don't think out of the box will tell you they will stunt. He keeps them in check by removing eggs annually, seining out juveniles and feed training them, and a few saugeye to keep them in check.

saugeye = walleye + sauger hybrid? Sterile?

Well Mr. Cody since CB1 called you out, do you have any pics to further my desire?

Feed training them already sounds great just from from an entertainment value, will look into this further.

I sense that this pond thing may get out of control

Support groups?

Saugeye are not sterile and can reproduce (viable) AND can spawn with walleye thus diluting pure stain walleye or sauger populations. This is why saugeye are not stocked (at least in Ohio) in streams or waters connected to steams containing walleye/sauger.

CB1 often calls me out. NO problem. I rarely post pics on the forum. Then deleating them off Photobucket really messes up the Archive posts. I can email you some pics of ice fishing catches that are limited to only 4-6 slot length fish at a time. I typically save my pics for my PBoss magazine articles. Look for Part 1 of 4 about SMB in the Mar-Apr 09 issue. IF you don't subscribe, you better sign up so you don't miss this good series of articles about smallies.

Gainseville Florida, you lucky dog gallop!
This is the support group you have been looking for and hope you get as hooked as the rest of us.

BC
I am a subsciber as of the date of my first post. Eagerly awaiting my first issue. Also awaiting arrival of "Perfect pond want one" I can wait for the top secret pics in the mag, keeps it exciting that way.

2CM
Looking forward to getting hooked on the forum. By the way if you want to be 4catmom I can ship you 2 more, free of charge. They hardly ever puke up hairballs or leave "presents" on our bed when we are away on trips.

thanks
gallop

Gallop:
I think I may have given you wrong info, the place to look I think is a search of The Food Chain, on the internet, for the video of the PondBoss himself with the net checking out the fish.
It wouldn't be fair to get any more cats, Sampson & Delilah are way too spoiled being the 2 rescued 5 year olds who came together when they could fit in a shirt pocket. I brush them so often they never have a hairball issue, and Sampson makes noises when he sleeps, he is a 20 pounder fat cat that never saw a food he didn't like. I live in a subdivision lake up her in the rust belt, it is overrun by gizzard shad and has way too much run-off and poor design, but we are fixing it, not easy, but can be done.

Would saugeye survive in Florida?

Sauger are found in northern Alabama but seem to only do well in the tailwaters of dams there. Walleye are found as far south as Alabama and Mississippi as well, but only do well in larger reservoirs and tailwaters of dams.

Combine the genes together... And I am betting you would get a fish that wouldn't do too well in northern FL, particularly in a smaller sized pond.

Gallop,

I doubt YP will get very big in Florida. When I was in Mississippi they had them get into the Tenn-Tom waterway via the Tennessee River. In North East Mississippi the yellow perch were only reaching a maximum size of 7" according the the fisheries biologist for that area. The few walleye (which are closely related to YP) in Mississippi also had a very small maximum size when compared to northern fish (around 5-7 pounds vs. 12-15 up north).

The fishermen in MS considered the YP pests/bait stealers. The fisheries biologist laughed when I told him they were a highly sought after (and very tasty fish) in the Northern part of the country.

Using YP native to Florida is a good idea, but I would look into their maximum size before I got too excited about them. It would take a lot of 7" YP for a fish fry.

I live in NC where sauger and walleye do well in lakes

Just assumed saugeye could do well in ponds

csteffen,

Thank you for the input, I will have to check with local fisheries before I commit. The fond memories of Friday night fish fries up north (YP and WE, yum) may need a southern update to BG and CC's