Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Is it possible? (LMB)

Is it possible for 2 inch bass stocked the 1st of July to be 8 - 9" right now?

The family was feeding the coppernose this evening as usual when my wife spotted a fish that was double the size of the coppernose stocked in December 2002. I was finally able to see it, and it has to be a bass. The only other thing stocked in the 1.5 acre pond was 750 fathead minnows and redears. Minnows are hardly seen anymore at all. I stocked 50 NLMB and 50 FLMB around the 1st of July.

So is it possible? I am doubting it, but I saw not one but two of them. They came up and swam among the bluegill and my kids were throwing in grasshoppers and crickets that they caught in the grass and these 2 fish were moving back and forth just behind the first line of coppernose that sit and wait for the treat. I'm not sure what to make of them, I just don't see how they could be that big already.

I live at the pond so no one has contributed anything to it without my knowledge. I'm in disbelief that they could be that large already.

If they are bass, you should see a black line running down the sides of their bodies. On young bass, it is usually pretty distinct and easy to see from the surface of the water. If they have the torpedo shape of the bass, they may be. If they had a lot of food, they are growing fast. Way fast. Is it possible that some were in the pond before you stocked it with the ones that you know about?

Fish get into ponds without stocking. The best idea of how that happens is that they stick to birds feet and get transplanted. Anyway, it is not uncommon to find fish in a pond that was never stocked.

6" of growth in just over a month? its possible that your fatheads had a few hitchhikers, or that those fish have been there since before you ever stocked. I would try to catch one, or get a really good look at it.

I saw the 2 again this evening. They definitely look like bass and move like them. Interestingly enough they are eating the feed, attacking the small sunfish , and when I through a cricket or grasshopper in this evening one of these was the first there to get it. A few times just as it hit the water they had it.

I plan on getting me some barbless hooks on my pole and tomorrow evening see if I can grab one of them. It should be easy since they appear to want to hog everything anyways.

Like I said, I too doubt that they could have been from the 2" inch ones I put in back the first of July. Two months and a couple of days seems little time for so much growth. Though the fatheads for the most part are gone. Hopefully I'll let you all know some exact measurements after tomorrow. I'm just estimating based on their size compared to the coppernose swimming around.

If they actually are 8 inches wouldn't it be wise to keep these out? I could dump them into a small 30 x 30 hole that I have near the pond. Just two of em if they survive should grow there some.

I stocked 50 2" bass in June 2003. I had a small kill in late July, 18 were bass, they were around 5 to 6" in length. So, yes I can believe it

Stocked a pond with a low density (25/acre) of pure florida fingerlings in an established pond with no bass present. Stocked first week of June 2" in October they were 11" and nearly a pound (very fat) by the follwing April 2.2 lbs. I would guess the fish you are seeing are the Florida bass and that is growth I would expect if managed properly. Also sounds like they may have been trained on fed so that would only aid in their growth.

Thats good to know Alan and Greg. I just know when I put them in, they were so small, and couldn't imagine them growing so fast. However, they definitely have had a huge food resource. Yesterday as the frogs were jumping in as I was walking towards the shore, I saw one of the bass grab one of em. Pretty neat to see them attack like that.

I feel better now, its possible I am off in my estimates of their size by and inch or two, but I still haven't been by the store to pick up some barbless hooks. Hopefully this weekend I'll have some exact measurements. I believe Alan is in the same area and used the same fish supplier as me for the FLMB, so its reassuring to here that info.

Thanks

I stocked 4" fingerlings initially and unfortunitaly had a winter kill my first year. The bass that were literally the size of my finger had grown to 12"+ and were 1 1/2 inches thick. I could not beleive at the time that they had grown that much but that's what a good forage base will do. It was very sad to pull them out dead.

They grow like weeds when well fed.

I would expect growth rates that good...especially since your pond was stocked properly in the beginning.
Proper food chain growth, with bass stocked in July, don't be surprised to see bass in the 10" range.

Does JM still frequent this board? It's early December and did he ever catch any of those bass. Fingerling bass growing from 2" to 8" in 2 months (60 days) and converts to 1/10th inch per day which is a doable thing for small goo quality bass if there is plenty of food available. Interesting to see how big they are now in early December. Growth could have slowed down some if all the fatheads were consumed back in Sept-Oct.