Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose a new pond

I just built a pond. With my d6c bulldozer. Its an arce and a half 278 feet across the dam 189 feet on. The sides I built it so my kids could swim and fish igot a 17 year old girl 2 7 year old girls and a 6 year old boy I asked them what kind of fish they said catfish so they told. Me they didnt want to wait to fish so I was thinking about ordering 2lb fish plus. This is my first pond so im needing alot of help thinking about feeding catfish food tooo or should I add something else to eat any help is wanted

Ideally you should stock with forage fish first such as minnows, and let them get established and multiply before adding catfish. I am no catfish expert through, plenty of others here that are.

So your goals are large catfish? What type?

Thanks for letting me know what kind of minnows would u recken mend. It will be channelcats starting out about 2lbs to 2and a half the fish guy I was talking toabout it was a biology est at asu in pine buff for 1300 I getting 4 25 lbs. Think its about 3.00a pound for them my little ones didnt want to wait a year or so I built it but its really theres and if they really like catching mobys they call them any thing bigger than there arms is huge tothem lol

Patience, brother, patience.

I agree with liquidsquid completely. Start those minnows, and have the kids watch with wonder as black swarms (not the right term, I know, but that's what the schools look like) indicate that they are reproducing and all the factors such as water quality and habitat are correct.

I'm sure one of the pros will reply shortly...

Thanks alot I guess ill put some bhm in with them ponds. Been full for like a month now its 16 to 18feet deep in the bowl im still not all the finished with it but with alll the needels at the white river and glass im thinking it would be better for them

Yeah, public fishing areas seem to have a lot of unwanted obstacles in many places.

Since you won't have an established forage base, calculate how much feed you'll need to feed daily before you drop the cash on the 2# CC. I'm not sure how fast you want to grow them out, or to what size, but it'd be a shame to miscalculate feed requirements and lose your initial investment.

Maybe some of the guys in fish farming operations will chime in on feed requirements.

I have a supply of bread crumbs I could feed tooo get all I want for cheap like free
U think bhm or some shiners like I said b4 im new to this stuff ive made some pvc trees used last years fake xmas tree im gonna put a 16 ft long by 10 ft wide 7 ft high boulder in it at. I hope this week we have had alot of rain the past weeks beeen to wet to bulldoze

Brian:

Instead of stocking all those CC at once, why not stock about half that rate? If you wanted more, you can always buy more and stock 'em. You should feed a pellet food that is formulated for catfish, not bread. They won't do well on a constant diet of bread, just like you or I wouldn't do well on it.

Up here, we have a hard time catching CC that were caught once or twice before. So, I'd catch and keep rather than catch and release. I'd also look into putting BG in there. Once CC get over 3# or so, they turn to eating fish. They still will eat food, but will also eat fish at the same time.

300# or so is the max that you can put in a 1 ac pond without aeration. If it gets hot, cloudy, and the wind drops off, you run the risk of not having enough oxygen in the pond for them.

I agree, do some research on how much food you'd need to feed 'em. You might be suprised. With a new pond, there won't be much in there for them to eat other than what they get from you.

Thanks it would be catch and eat my little one r all about eating some catfish and here in ark its almost 6.50 a pound at the store's and store bought sucks lol but I figure we would eat about 200lbs this year I feed 8 people a night and I really loved the help thanks again I need alll the help I can get

200# a year is about 150 CC (maybe 175) @ 2# each. The longer thay are in the pond, the bigger they get.
29.5" and 15.95#

Pretty cute Cat Fish. Good to see the photo......