If you are stocking primarily HSB, RES, HBG, and feeding pellets then IMO you will not really need many if any FHM. FHM are basically used to "jump start" the new young LMB fingerlings/stockings. All HSB are raised on fish pellets and very willingly eat fish food, sometimes to the exclusion of eating fish when pellets are plentiful. As suggested 2 lbs of FHM stocked early spring will be plenty. You will be amazed at how many FHM can be produced in 0.25 ac with LMB present. Use the money to buy other fish and put it toward fish food and aeration. With no LMB present the FHM could last a long time or indefinately if there is some shallow habitat/cover refuge (15%-25% of shoreline) for them. For good natural fish cover, look for my water lily articles in PBoss magazine: 2010 Mar-Apr, Jul-Aug.
Adding one regular non-pellet trained LMB is an okay idea in your situation. Plan on it eating 250-350 fish per year- hopefully many of those will be HBG young.
Understand that the HBG, esp if not replentished regularly (every 2-4yrs) will produce some fish that look in varying degrees like BG or GSF or mixtures of both. The best success of them is in regular harvest and restocking. One additional note about HBG they are sort of aggressive and willing to bite and bump swimmers. So if swimming is a big thing for this pond rethink your plan.
The beauty of your small pond is it can be fairly easily and cheaply drawn down several feet, or treated at full pool, the fish killed off to restock a new fishery and start over.
Note that the fish farm closest to you may not have HSB. Check with them when waters thaw out. I think 50 RES may be too many for your pond. Consider 20-30 added when FHM go in. ALSO note that if any LMB or larger CC are present, HBG that are restocked should be larger usually 4" or better 5"-6" to avaoid being eaten by 15"-17" predators. Generally fat pelleting predator fish do not eat a lot of fish, mostly they prefer a regular easy diet of welfare pellets.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 02/15/10 11:28 AM.
