Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Bulk Golden Shiner Fry

If it's a new pond and you don't have other fish in it, stocking the fry is a better deal cost wise. Many more will live to grow to adults = more to spawn in future years. Typically in a new pond, unless added by the pond owner, there is no spawning structure for the GSH to lay their eggs on. Since they spawn in the Spring, and usually only once, timing with stocking adults is critical if you expect them to spawn the first year.

The idea behind stocking fish in a pond is to have the babies of the stocked fish get caught and removed, or eaten by predators, leaving the orig. stocked fish as the brood stock. After a few years, the surviving YOY become the brood stock. The pond owner can remove some of the orig. stocked fish as part of the pond management plan too.