If you could get the golden shiners established, it would be another prey source for your predators. We kept talking about adding predators, and so of course, my thoughts strayed to what they would eat. Your only chance to establish would be stocking large adults. I don't know if you could find a source or not. Honestly, we've had a hard time getting them established. I have been wanting to find some wild golden shiners out in ponds in western SD, and then bring them back. Maybe they would get started more easily than naive shiners that are purchased straight from the hatchery?
My thinking is that the pond can handle 400 new predators due to the current forage base being healthy, though I do really like the idea of an additional forage fish.
Dave trouble establishing GShiners I assume not SMB & WE ?
Dwight is it lawful to stock GShiners in MN next to a river ?
I am checking with the hatchery on the golden shiner question as well as a source for some "Minnesota tough"
shiners.
Usually when I decide to do something, I just go ahead and do it. Adding Walleye and Smallmouth has been contemplated and discussed for several years now. I don't want to upset the the natural balance that exists in the pond today so I tread lightly.
The idea of adding a new forage fish along with the new predators certainly seems to have merit since I don't do any feeding.
