When you are stocking catfish remember you are going to have to remove them and assuming eating them. Do you know how to clean them? Many don't like that task. If you're not eating them consider not stocking them. If planning on eating them, then follow DaveD1's advice, it works in your area.
There are several combinations of fish that you could use in this pond. Consider just putting in just minnows now and let them spawn this summer without any predators present to produce many thousands of new small minnows as fish food. Then after you do a little more homework about what fish to use, put the other fish in this fall. Those fall stocked fish will grow fast adn almost twice as fast on all the minnows that have reproduced this summer. This is a good way to grow some nice bass pertty quickly. If you stock BG plan to still add some redeas sunfish as Dave1 suggests. They help reduce snails and fish parasites in the fish you will be cleaning and eating.
Bass & BG can work in a small pond but as DD1 says, it is more maintenance of fishing out excess BG and bass. Hybrid bluegill require some periodic restocking as you remove the larger adults. Other optional fish to stock are hybrid striped bass(HSB) with hybrid BG, largemouth & BG with several HSB and a few catfish. Research the possibilities before the pulling the trigger on stocking that 1/4 ac pond.
Without aeration, with feeding and drought, expect pond problems later when water level gets low and pond ages - many fish could die. Plan for it not to minimize future problems. Aeration for a 1/4 ac pond does not have to be expensive. A small 1/4 pond even in TX would not have to be aerated 24/7 to result in 1-2 turnovers per day.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 06/24/12 01:54 PM.
