Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations bass not growing

Fender often does not provide enough forage items for growing large bass fast. His main goal is stocking for a balanced pond. Fathead minnows are good for jump starting bass growth to 6" maybe 8" long. After that fatheads are about useless for putting weight & length on larger bass.

Two year old northern bass (which yours are)with proper food should be 12"-14" long; some can be as big as 15"-16" during their 3rd summer. You have a forage fish problem, plus you stocked too many different predator species (cats, perch, & bass) of fish to grow primarily big bass fast. Cats perch and hybrids are competing with bass for the smaller fish items. Bass are coming up short in your stocking combination. The highest numbers of big & largest bass grow in ponds with the proper numbers of bass,, with bass as the only predator and plenty of PROPER numbers and sizes of forage items.

Hybrid bgill was another mistake in a pond for big bass.

Do a search here for:: growing large bass or try:: thin bass. Thin bass search will tell you why bass are thin and or small.

If growing big bass is your goal you need toread Bob Lusk's booklet - Growing Trophy Bass available on this website. Even Florida bass in Florida would not grow well due to your stocking combination and SEQUENCE.