Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose CNBG in TN

So I really would like to try CNBG in a pond or two that I'm managing, but have searched multiple times through previous posts and can't seem to find a definitive answer on how far north they'll prosper. I don't want to stock them if they're not going to live up to their genetic potential; I've read in some threads on here that the TN-KY line is the northern cutoff, approximately, but will they do well in middle TN? I'm about an hour south of Nashville, about an hour north of the AL line.

Aren't those monsters coming out of Richmond Mill CNBG? Richmond Mill is at 34.872 latitude, and I'm at 35.615; is that a significant difference? Any and all thoughts would be appreciated. I know there are multiple PM companies that sell CNBG to pond owners in TN; just wondering if anyone on here knows firsthand either of success stories or failures?

Good Lord, man, that's 0.743!

Seriously, Walt, Coppernose should do great for you in middle Tennessee. I wish my ponds were 2 states farther South, so I could stock them (although that would make it hard to walk to them after work on weeknights).

The closest I can remember anyone having problems with CNBG due to Latitude was no nearer than the middle of KY.

Keep in mind elevation also. If in doubt you can stock some of both. My guess is if you are not up in elevation you well be fine with CNBG.

Thanks, guys! I looked up my elevation and it's 643 feet so I'm good on that front.

One more question: I had a pond I was going to be managing that had had a fishkill due to watermeal and needed re-stocking, but the owner nixed the whole thing because he didn't want to spend any more money on weed control (a separate post I made that was well-answered by Greg and a couple other guys). So now I've found a new pond or two to tinker with, but they already have common-strain bluegill in them. I don't want to overcrowd any pond, and right now the ones I've fished appear to be in balance; I'm going to be installing automatic feeders on each pond. Is it feasible/beneficial to stock CNBG in a pond that already has common-strain, and will they quickly be diluted genetically by breeding with their cousins? And would it upset the balance of a pond if I begin feeding a pond that hasn't previously been fed, and then stock CNBG?