Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Bluegill eating minnows

This is not a scientific answer, but I would say that the bluegill won't out-compete the FHM.

I started a new pond a little over a year ago with hybrid sunfish and fatheads. Three months later I added 4-inch channel catfish and more hybrid sunfish.

This spring, I had a zillion, or more, FHM in that pond. Since then, I've added more 2-3 inch hybrid bluegill and 4-8 inch channel catfish. I also added five 5-6 inch smallmouth bass. The FHM have disappeared from that pond -- unless I just cannot see them for some reason.

I have no positive evidence of what actually happened, but I assume the FHM became snacks for the catfish and smallmouth bass.

For me, that is OK. I want all recruitment in this put-and-take pond to be completely controlled.