Derek - Check and see if Spring Valley Trout Farm at Dexter MI still carries LM bass. For your listed goals, I would stock a total of 30-40 LMB fingerlings or up to 6"-8"ers; nothing else. We do this stocking scenario often for swimming ponds in NW Ohio. Bass will not get much larger than 10"-12" unless you provide an additional food source such as minnows, panfish or pellets(if bass pretrained for pellet food). Addition of other fish will cause more maintenance to maintain a good balance. The LMB will not bother swimmers and will not overpopulate. You just won't be bothered by fishing buddies wanting to fish your pond because bass are too small. Bass could be stocked in fall or spring of 2008.

Weeds will be your biggest problem.


aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management