Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Newbie needs help - initial stocking

Before you stock predator fish (LMB) make sure that your forage base is established.

If the pond is not full now, you might want to reconsider tapering the banks a bit more. If you cannot walk into the pond with waders, how would a person get out if they fell into the pond, especially an older person or a young child? Especially if there was snow/ice on the ground.

Read up on stocking rates for the various fish. DIfferent stocking rates for various fishery goals. A pond is different than a lake, as it will continually want to go out of balance.

I would stock RES along with the BG, somewhere in the 25% ratio RES to BG. HBG won't spawn enough to make forage for the LMB, so in you pond they would be considered a fish that will grow fast for the first few years until the BG catch up.

YP can be stocked and might establish in the pond with the LMB. Even if they don't establish, they will provide some good eating until the LMB wipe them out.

CC if caught and released are very hard to re-catch. They are cheap to re-stock, but they aren't mandatory in a pond. I woudn't stock BH.