Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Question about HSB

Given the dynamics of my pond being a typical bass crowded pond. Would stocking HSB be a bad idea. They sound like a fun fish to have in a pond.

I think you'll be glad you stocked them in a couple of years. Assuming you're pellet feeding, they'll probably do very well. They grow really fast and fight a lot harder than LMB. They will compete with your bass for some food but not nearly as much as more LMB would and will be easier to manage since they don't reproduce.

We've stocked them in limited quantities and have never been sad about it.

I would put 20 or 30 in and see how it goes. My fish guy was getting me stockers at 16" plus.

Here's one:

LMB and HSB do compete with each other. Less so if you can get your HSB pellet trained, but there will still be competition. I would work on getting your LMB numbers a little lower before throwing another dimension into your ponds food chain. The nice thing about HSB though is that they do no reproduce in ponds, so there is no risk of overpopulation. It is essentially a put and take fishery.

Sunil, do you get your HSB from Keystone Aquaculture/John Sproch? If so, what's he charge for 16" stockers? That's a size guaranteed not to become expensive LMB food!

Yes, Sproch is my guy. I'd have to go back and see what he charged. As I recall, he got them from North or South Carolina.

After they were stocked, I didn't see them for several weeks.

Then, I was shore fishing and drinking, and several hundred feet down the pond, I saw a 20' x 20' ring of boiling water. I knew it was the HSB. They were hearding shiners or fatheads.

My bro was in the boat with a buddy in the back section of the pond, so I phoned them to come back to see the HSB, and they caught one after the other for about 10 minutes.

I don't know if Sproch is going for HSB this year or not. When I talked to him a week or two back to place forage orders, he had doubts if his client base was going to order enough.

I love HSB. Unfortunately they are illegal to stock in VA. There is fear they will escape the pond they were stocked in, migrate downstream to the Cheseapeake Bay and back cross with wild striped bass and screw up the genetics. Pretty far fetched, but I guess possible. Funny thing is, the VDGIF used to stock HSB in many of the public fishing lakes before their change of heart... I bet the HSB do great in your pond with its size. My experience they can survive in smaller ponds but excel in ponds 5 acres and up.

eric, if/when you put them in, make sure they are big enough to escape predation from your LMB (however big those are at the time).

Thanks guys. I've just read where you guys raved about them and thought I'd ask. This would be down the road once I got a grip on what all was going on in my pond.