After having been in the fish business for about ten years now, I have verifiably heard 10 times more hype about largemouth bass than about any other single fish. We've learned all sorts of aspects regarding genetics, fertility, habitat, water quality, food-chain, variety, etc, all aimed at pumping food to into the mouth of a largemouth bass and giving her a good home.
We haven't heard much about more possibilities for small ponds. My recommendation for most small pond (less than 1-acre) owners goes like this: Stock baitfish that have high reproductive potential and predators that have low reproductive potential.
Please do not infer that I am recommending all of these species together. Just consider the combinations in southern ponds.
Forage
>Fatheads
>Shiners
>Mosquito fish
>Bluegill
>Redear Sunfish
>Longear Sunfish
>Tilapia
>Threadfin Shad
Predators
>Hybrid Striped Bass
>Blue or Channel Catfish. Blue catfishing with a flyrod is phenomenal.
>Female largemouth bass
>Trout
Stocking density is dependent on intensity of management program. In theory, I believe that the concept of stocking prolific forage with non-prolific predators is the answer to keeping small ponds in balance over time.
It would be great if I could get ideas from the forum regarding this concept and how you might sell it to folks who have heard all the bass hype and took it hook, line, and sinker.
