Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose TJ's SMB Babies need a good home!

I agree with you. Like I said the yellow perch and bluegills alone didn't crop down my fatheads but once I added the smallmouth...

I am there dude! I will likely have a 10-year old along with me. He's better in the water than I am so he'll probably be a better help than I will be.

Thanks Josh! Bring your waders - water's getting a tad chilly. I'll provide all the diet pepsi you can drink.

Uh oh, will have to buy me some waders. Anywhere I can get some on the cheap?

And diet soda? Haven't acquired a taste for it. Will probably just drink pond water.

Waders? I'll have wet feet for two weeks!

Plus your skinny legs will be even more shriveled from the cool water. It's 62°F here.

I would invest in a pair of Cabelas, but you can go cheap and get Hodgmans. They have performed pretty well for me over the years. I prefer stocking foot waders. I would go with light waders, not thick neoprene unless you plan on duck hunting.

I may have an extra pair for you come to think of it.

Yeah, let me know if you have an extra pair. I'd like to invest in a good pair, since I plan on putting them to good use over the years, but probably shouldn't do that right now if I can avoid it. I'll shop around though, see if I can find a deal.

Hello all;

That time of year again, I'm happy to report we managed a much stronger spawn this year. At one point a few weeks ago I'd say I had a few thousand 2-3" SMB in the reproduction pond. Today we have far fewer due to a few bruisers who can attribute their growth at the expense of their little brothers and sisters!

I will have 4-6" pellet trained CSBG and 4-6" pellet trained SMB in the next few weeks. I have some local pond owners who have ordered, yet confident I'll have plenty remaining for my Pond Boss brethren.

My one problem is fish transportation...if you can get to me in Lincoln, NE - they're yours. I am not experienced at shipping fish, and don't know how reliable it is ensuring survival, so I hesitate to attempt without someone experienced leading the way.

At any rate, let me know if I can help you out. I want my babies going to good foster ponds!

TJ

TJ, how are you catching the fish out of the pond?

Awesome! Let me know if you need a swimming buddy.

I know Sunil was looking for SMB. I am sure if he can work transport out with Rex he'd be in...

Scott I can catch around 50 CSBG/hr. I may be able to seine but it will be hard work with my slopes. Obviously a fyke net would be ideal....

Do you have any holding pens/cages?

Yes one homemade circular cage 4x4 should be able to hold plenty of BG.

Considering Sunil's fishery I'm thinking he'll need at least 9", preferably larger SMB to escape immediate predation. I don't know if he has a growout cage...that too would work. Last year he received some fish from me - they were 4-6" and I fear too small for many to survive.

Yeah, I think he is willing to take what he can get though. As we all known, SMB aren't the easy fish to source with consistency.

Cecil said he has them to 15", and Laggis said he had a good spawn this year. Laggis pellet trains his, and I think Cecil's are eating pellets too. I don't know how many Cecil has, or if he's selling them this year. I don't know if his have pedigrees (health certs), but Laggis said his do.

If I owned a pond with LMB established as the top predator I would be hesitant to stock anything less than 9" depending on the species but that's just me being extra cautious. For something fusiform like a YP I might even go longer, while BG probably arrive at the security length at 6" is my guess. I think stocking these SMB [4-6"] into a LMB pond without first growing them out in a RAS or blocking net is an unwise investment. That being said, I think the SMB could easily be grown to that 9-12" size in an RAS over the winter with steady pellet program and ready to stock the following Spring.

TJ, there's a guy in Bruning that might be interested in some CSBG.

That is great, if I only had a way up there. Maybe one of these years, it would be nice to meet a few of you guys anyway.

Thanks

TJ I would be interested in some of your CSBG. I can't be too far from you and I do have a way to transport them. Unfortunalely, I will be out of town through labor day.

TJ contacted me about providing transport again this year and during our email exchanges, Both TJ and I are happy to help out our PB brethren, but as we all know, it all comes down to economics and timing. There is a good chance I will be in TJ's area (within 250 miles) delivering juvenile and adult HSB, Golden and Rainbow Trout orders that are now flowing in and if there are enough orders for TJ's fish also, I could cover the fuel costs to make the 500 mile side trip from a Timber Hills Resort near Fort Scott, KS.

Like I said, if there is enough interest, I could get there and for those not on a run from NE to PA, I can package and ship the fish FedEx or same day air freight.

Rainman, check your PMs, Freak.

I did! Poppa Freak