Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain New .75 acre pond in Virginia, need help!

YP are not essential for growing 3 LB+ smallies but it helps esp if the smallies are also feeding on pellets (smb pellet trained can be very hard to find). SMB at 3 lbs are very nice smallies at 17.2"-18" long (std wt). If you can get YP that are pellet trained they will easily grow to 12"-13" long and some to 14"-15" with a regular diet of high protein pellets. YP at 3"-5" make good forage for adult SMB, but so do GSH and RES primarily because RES are minimal spawners and rarely over populate. Read more info here on spawning habitat for smallies. I'll see if I can locate some links. If you plan on having enough frogs to feed some smallies plan on having a significant amount of cover esp emergent shallow water vegetation for the frogs and tadpoles. Smallies seem to like tadpoles. YP do not eat bullfrog tadpoles in my experience.

I see that Lilypons Water Gardens has moved to Adamstown MD. http://www.lilypons.com/
The 'Changeable' lilies are always smaller varieties with small spread, slower growing, and staying in shallower water of mostly 2-4ft.

SMB Spawning and Biology:
http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/smallmouth-spawning.html

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=181122

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/growing-smallmouth.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/smallmouth.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/smallmouth_bass_stocking.html

SMB Stocking - Management
http://www.sdstate.edu/nrm/outreach/pond...ul-Aug-2004.pdf