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

I have a new pond around 1.25 acres. I put 200 baby LMB 500 BG 500 RES plus fatheads in last fall. I have read some college papers of my buddies from Southern Illinois University that actually recommended warmouths as an alternative (I guess for crappie) since they tend not to overpopulate. When I was a kid I loved catching them, they are wicked little individuals. Does anyone know where I can get some or have any other pros and cons?

Welcome to the PB forum. Here are a couple of links with info on WM. I have not seen anyone selling them.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/efish/families/warmouth.html

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=3373

Thanks for the quick reply!

I've been reading the forum for a couple of weeks and feel that I have learned a lot. It's great to know that there are others out there with the same concerns as mine.

I am a farmer and actually control 4 other ponds all around 1 acre. 2 that I have complete control of need some serious work, one just flat out needs to be drained and started over and the other if mendable as is. It is choked full of green sunny's. I caught 18 long, skinny channel cats out of it and haven't caught or been bit from any since. I turned 6 bass loose in it a couple of years ago, but it was too late for them to spawn that year. Do you think it would be ok if I put about 40-50 6-10 inchers in there? I have access to them in another pond that has more bass than quaker has oats. Plus a friend has a 3 acre pond basically the same way since it has hybrid bluegill and nothing else for forage.

Roger, unlike some others, I like Green Sunfish. Like other fish, I don't like it when they are out of control. I think the bass would be a great idea. However, someday, the bass will be out of control. Green sunfish just don't provide enough renewable forage base to support predators. Maintaining a pond is a continued balancing act.

Roger, that sounds like an excellent plan to me. The LMB will soon control the GSF and then you will need to add some adult BG for forage for the LMB. As Dave said, the problem that many have with GSF and even HBG also, is they just do not produce enough forage to support a LMB fishery. Draining a pond and starting over may be necessary in some cases, but an approach which takes a less drastic measure is worth trying first.

Many of us have GSF in our ponds (often they come as untended fish with commercial fish stockings). With adequate predation, they are a non-issue, unless you are into pure strain BG breeding.

Roger, why are you thinking of warmouth rather than rock bass?

Adding a top predator to thin the overpopulated GSF is a fine idea. Getting your stockers from a potentially overpopulated/stunted population will be a little more controversial. Here is a previous link that discusses the growth potential of stunted bass.

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=000096#000003

Good Luck and keep us posted.

Warmouth are a neat sunfish and generally don't stunt as bad as green sunfish.

They have big mouths too and can eat bigger fish than say a bluegill or redear

Norm,

Aren't warmouth and rock bass, one and the same?

I also would like to know if stocking rock bass would be okay for diversity.

Here are links to rockbass , warmouth and a cousin roanokebass each is a different species.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/efish/families/rockbass.html

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/efish/families/warmouth.html

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/efish/families/roanokebass.html

ceadmin, as ewest pointed out above, warmouth, rock bass and roanoke bass are three different but similar species. There is a fourth species called Ozark bass that has been split off from rock bass. Other than range, the biggest difference between the 4 species is size. Roanoke bass get to 14 1/2 inches, Ozark bass to 7 1/2 inches, warmouth to 12 inches and rock bass to 17 inches. Rock bass just get bigger. They are like having crappie in a lake only they don't spawn as early, I think. We need a professional to comment if they spawn before or after LMB.

Jonah's Aquarium in Thousand Oaks, Cal. lists them. They were out when I tried to order them several months ago.
I ordered mine from Sachs Systems in Fla. Try "www.aquaculturestore.com" . Paul Sachs was the person I spoke to. They were shipped in ice chest via overnite mail. 17 of the 20 made the flight and survived.
I stocked them in an intermittent creek that flows thru my property and has 2 mud holes that retain water, but get too low (I think) for bass.
Warmouth are bream with an attitude.