Having read some more posts about SMB and other I am now questioning my proposed stocking plan for next year and would like some advice/comments.
It is a new 2/3 acre embankment pond with nothing but rainwater and a small amount of runoff to keep water in it. A smaller pond next to it stays nearly full with same condition. I added some pallets, rocks, tree logs and brush and some shallows that will be full of pond plants. Lots of various size rock and misc. cover.
It is 5 feet deep now and will be mostly 8 ft when full with some to 9'. The small pond next to it is 72 degrees now 5 feet from the edge. It is 9' deep in the middle and in the past 4 or 5 degrees cooler in the deepest part. The new pond is 78 degrees but it is only 5' deep.
I was thinking SMB, HSB and YP. I stocked 50 2-3" BG, 50 2-3" RES and 10 lb of fatheads in June to establish the forage base. I transferred about 50 BG from the small pond - some 6-7", some 4-5" some 3-4", thinking they would spawn this year and get a good head start on the predators to come. I guess I was thinking like 50 each of the SMB, YP and HSB, all in the 2-4" size.
I am concerned about the water temp being too warm for the perch and them dying or not growing or no reproduction. Concerned the SMB and BG will both stunt. Would prefer the SMB over LMB mainly for better tasting fish, hard fighters and better survival of the forage fish due to the smaller mouths.
Best outcome would be larger SMB (20" +? eventually) and a self-sustaining population of (up to 11"?) BG and (up to 16"?)YP. Would like to eat the SMB, BG and YP. Eat the HSB (how big might they get under these conditions?)too occassionally and ok to have to restock the HSB and probably FHM annually.
I will not be feeding except by hand rarely. I will allow a lot of plants including cattails to provide cover and hopefully oxygen.
OK - any chance it will work? Or will the smallies top out at 12-18"? Will the BG thrive and reach 10" plus and stay self-sustaining? Any chance of the YP being self sustaing? Will the angry RES scare the other fish into starvation? Should I add G Shiners for additional forage? Will they reproduce or would they require restocking like the FHM? I added pallets and chicken wire - will this with lots of plants and other cover create conditions the FHM could survive the predation and be self-sustaining?
Water is very clear now when we go a week without rain. But it does have color and life. The smaller pond has a lot of color but no algae. Nice green/brown color. The creeping primrose in the small pond is disappearing gradually - I assume the muskrat is eating it - yes? I put 4 8-10" LMB in the small pond when I stocked the BG and FHM maybe the bass eat primrose?
I know - lots of questions. Hopefully you can help me decide what to put in next spring. I suppose if I create a problem it can be corrected with stocking and fishing. I would have no problem with a "controlled" population of the bass - meaning keeping the numbers down through harvesting to acheive the goals.
Thanks in advance for your help
