I like the idea of single sex small ponds. I am sure people would pay a bit more to buy single sex fish of different species to stock smaller ponds. If only sexing most fish species was easier. Crappies would be great that way... Just takes one oopsie though.
Most farms either won't do it or aren't really well versed in sorting by sex. My trout supplier in Michigan will sort only males for me but he charges me extra and it ain't cheap. However I don't blame him. Not sure I can get him to do it anymore as he grumbled how much work it was to sort 125 male brook trout for me the last time.
Even then there still usually are a few females, but I'm counting on that this fall as I'm going to spawn my own as the hauling is getting to be a pain. I have all the respect in the world for hauler's like Rex (Rainman) as I loath hauling fish. And don't even get me started on the permits!
If anyone is interested in a single sex pond I would suggest either getting them during a time of year you can easily sex them or putting the fish in cages until you can. Mature yellow perch are very easy to sex in early spring as are bluegills during late spring. If in any doubt whatsoever don't put the fish in the pond.
What are the advantages of single sex ponds?
1.) All biomass is in catchable large fish and since your pond has limits on it's carrying capacity even with pellet fed fish, you can hold more larger fish in your pond.
2.) No tiny bait stealers.
3.) No reproduction means complete control of your fish pond population. If you know what's in your pond from the beginning and what you take out minus any observed morts you can keep a running inventory of the fish population.
4.) Fish are easier to catch since they depend on the pellet diet you feed them. All you have to do is withhold feed to increase the catch rate (especially predatory species).
5.) Fish primarily on pellet diets grow faster and have higher relative weights. That said I'm still not happy with the fatty deposits and shorter lifespans of fish fed exclusively pellets. I also think it affects winter survival. I have had luck establishing a fathead minnow population before planting yellow perch and bluegill, and the fatheads seemed to have hung on until I added smallmouth bass. That was also feeding pellets before I added the smallmouth. It may have been eventually the yellow perch would have decimated the fatheads. Just don't know.
My original yellow perch supplier says his broodstick yellow perch do best on fatheads and crayfish. Says they don't produce as good of eggs on exclusively pellets.
