I planned on letting the forage cocktail sit for at least a year or maybe two before adding any smallies.
I don't think that the fatheads should be necessary. With the pond literally crawling with bluntnose, killies, shiners, chubs, grass shrimp, and crayfish I think that they might be a little overkill.
I'm not opposed to the idea, but I try to pick my forage species on where I am going to get the most return on my pond usage. For instance, grass shrimp are like free food in your pond. They fill in a niche that no one else is using.
People think that fingernail clams are a waste of time, but you know what? They feed on particulate crap that no one else is the pond can eat, and then they become a high protein food source for my crayfish, which are a cherished food source of my smallies.
Its all about building the food chain from the very bottom and finding a way to filter as much of the available nutrition in your pond into the species that you want to grow into trophies.
