Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Stock a Maine Pond

Flatlander - Pumpkinseeds (the northern equivalent of redear) will work as forage with LMB. Pumpkinseeds eat primarily snails as do the redears. I have this combination in a pond in NW Ohio. Works pretty good. However the pumpkinseeds will not get as big as the redear sunfish. With the correct bass-sunfish balance the pumpkinseeds will get 8-8.5" long (big enough to clean). LMB should get 15-16" long.

Flatlander, have you considered putting smallmouth bass instead of LMB in the pond? I am growing SMB in a 1/3ac mud, hard, bottom pond with yellow perch, bluntnose minnows & shiners; everyone is doing fine with reproduction and growth. I use eelgrass as cover for fingerlings & minnows. You might consider this combination in the more northern cool water pond.
Of the two stocking combinations I prefer the SMB,perch,minnow; perch are good eating and SMB are hard pulling acrobats.
Note: I would not use pumpkinseeds with SMB; too small of mouth for proper predation of the sunfish. PS Keep the snow off 20-30% of the ice during winter to minimize the chance of winterkill. Especially impt after 1-2 weeks of snow cover. Can you keep us posted on your progress?