Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Choices

CC are cavity spawners, and if you don't have the cavities for them, nor the type of steep bank that they can create their own cavity, they will reabsorb the eggs/milt and not spawn. I've had CC in my pond since I bought the place in '02 and I haven't had a spawn yet.

If you want to hand feed, I'd still look into putting an automatic feeder on it. Much easier schedule wise and they will still eat if you throw out food by hand, especially 1/2 hr before their scheduled feeding time.

I'm having a hard time catching the CC in my pond - they get very shy once hooked, or when they see a buddy yanked out of the water.

If you don't want a self sustaining population of LMB in the pond, I'd stock HBG, RES, HSB and a dozen female LMB. With that combo, I'd make sure I had a feeder going, or plan on hand feeding 2x day. If the pond was dug this year, I'd stock 20# of FHM in there as soon as there was a couple feet of water, and when it was half full I'd stock 20# of GSH. Hopefully they (the FHM) will pull off a spawn at least once before next year.

I'd make sure that I had all the cover ready to put in the pond as soon as it was finished.

Then next Spring stock the predators. Next Fall would be even better. Don't plan on the FHM being in the pond for more than a year after stocking the predators. Hopefully the GSH will become established enough to keep a viable population.

I wouldn't stock the LMB until the predator fish in the pond are large enough to be too big of a meal for the LMB.

It'd be great of you could get female feed trained LMB, but that will be hard to do.

Consider aerating, and once the water cools down in the fall, you could stock 50 or so RBT for fishing during the winter. They will eat pellets even with ice on the pond if there is open water. Plan on catching them out before the water temps hit 70 deg in the late spring. (or they will die)