Originally posted by Gambusia:
I would stock some hybrid striped bass like was suggested above... plus a good predator that can reach 20 pounds.
JeremyH,
Howdy to you also! HSB may reach 20 pounds in a small pond somewhere, but I'd advise you to check the Texas records before jumping in that direction. I was sold HSB as a fish that "would easily attain 8 to 10 pounds" in about three years in my ponds. Five years later, many 6 to 10 pound LMB and zero HSB over 6 pounds have been raised in my ponds. As is often said, it all depends.
Your stated objectives were for a low maintenance pond with a healthy fish population. Several ways to achieve that. The absolute lowest maintenance pond fish strategy I know of is the standard LMB/BG combination. This approach requires zero artificial feeding and zero fish replenishment and will sustain itself for decades without intervention.
Many will argue that such a pond will become overpopulated with LMB or BG or both. Without significant human intervention, the pond will reach an equilibrium, a balance as determined by Nature. That balance likely will be made up of numerous small 12 inch LMB with a very small number of large LMB. The BG will be very numerous of various sizes. If you infrequently fish the pond, it will offer tremendous fast action on those small LMB and a variety of different sized BG. You can find hundreds, thousands of such ponds all across East Texas. I've had several of them myself....and have enjoyed them immensely. Good luck on your pond journey!
