In my planning of a SMB pond I was told that feeding SMB will help them grow quicker but they still need natural forage. The fingerlings might be able to get by on just feed but they won't be able to eat the HBG until they are 15"+, they won't get to 15" on just feed unless you are really throwing a ton of feed out there. I could be wrong (and if I am somebody please correct me) but I think you need to get some more natural forage in there ASAP and get any LMB out as well.
If there are spawning LMB they will outcompete the SMB and prey on them.
My pond currently has no predators in it but I am getting the following forage established for a year before I stock the first predator:
-Fathead Minnows (already stocked)
-Golden Shiners (already stocked)
-Crayfish (already stocked)
-Grass Shrimp (already stocked)
-Spotfin Shiners (arrive next Friday)
-Greenfin Shiners (arrive next Friday)
-Banded Killifish (getting them from CJBS2003 whenever we can meet up
)
-Bluntnose Minnows (arrive next Friday)
-Johnny Darters (arrive next Friday)
-Lake Chubsuckers (arriving in the summer)
-Red Eared Sunfish (will be stocked in June)
Next year I will be putting in 100 yellow perch finerlings along with 30 SMB fingerlings and 50-100 1-2" Red Breasted Sunfish. I will be feeding them but the feed will be icing on the cake rather than their main substinance. Maybe my pond requires all this forage for the SMB to be succesful because of the part of the country I am in but I thought it was vital in all ponds (again please correct me if I am wrong).
