Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose HSB Questions

I'd lean to stocking HSB if you leave LMB/BG out of the mix insead of the CC just because of the catchability of the larger CC vs. the HSB. To act as a predator, the CC need to be a minimum of 3#, and once they get larger they usually have been C&R at least once, which makes them much harder if not impossible to catch again (at least in my expreience).

The HSB and GSH occupy the same area in the pond. (more open water). The adult RES will get too large (body size) to be forage for the HSB, but they spawn a LOT less than BG, so the overpopulation problems with BG shouldn't be seen. I have yet to hear of a stunted RES pond. HSB can easily utilize GSH for forage due to their fusiform shape.

The great thing about stocking CC and HSB is that they both do well on pellets, and if you don't have cavities in the pond for CC to use as spawning areas, both species are a put n take propositon. No worries of having a predator stunted pond like you might have with LMB in the mix due to natural reproduction.