I stocked about 50 LMB fingerlings in my 2/3 ac pond around May. I cought several of them this weekend in a cast net. They are now about 4" long, skin and bones. (two 1" LMB look healthy, but not fat). There are several reasons why they are skinny.
1. chocolate milk water,
2. competition from Black Crappie, (50 were stocked around the same time but grew to healthy 6")
3. conspicuously low #s of sub 1.5" minnows and fingerlings compared with couple of months ago.
The little LMB look like they are starving, and I have to figure out what to do about it. I am thinking that buying few lbs. of minnows may be the ticket. Once they get little bigger, they can eat the dozens of baby frogs on the shores and the 1.5 - 2" and bigger Bluegill. The pond has been couple of feet below normal for up to three monghs now, and all the shallow areas are dry. Maybe the smaller fingerlings got wiped out when the fish got concentrated in the deeper parts, or the cold spell at the beginning of October stopped the Tilapia and Bluegill reproduction. There is nothing I can do about the water clarity, because my pond is overrun by Bullhead catfish. My primary reason for having LMB, is to put a dint in the Bullhead, Crappie and Bluegill fry. Any other ideas on how I can help these guys?
