At 60 ft deep there will be plenty of water at 39F during winter. Water from spring inflows may also create warm water refuges of 40-45F maybe even 50F during winter ice cover depending on several factors.
""Other types of shiners and native minnows are a great idea but I don't know how to get them in the quantity I need."" If stocked and allowed to reproduce prior to predators, you will need very few native minnows likely fewer than 50 and as few as 10-12 even in 300 acres. They will find each other to spawn. Nature is great at that feature. As fish manager it is your job to do good appropriate homework and locate and stock appropriate forage species even if you have to collect them yourself. Fishery management is not always about just buying fish.
"Other than some minnows brought in by avian sources..." Your least problem and concern will be avain sources bringing in unwanted fish species. This topic has been extensively discussed on this forum. Scientific research has also looked at this topic. Basically, birds moving fish only occurs if the source water is adjacent to the receiving water. A tornado will bring in more fish to the lake than birds. Biggest source for unwanted fish will be anglers, and 'wana be' biologists, angler bucket stockers, and live bait fishermen that add fish they are using or want to catch in the lake. There will always be those involved people that think they can better stock & manage the lake than yourself. You will learn many other people will think you know nothing about what you are doing.
Having information on good authority can not always be relied on in all instances. Each water body is unique and the fauna and flora do not read the book and respond the same way every time. IMO the "good authority' will not be quite so confident if their advice does not 'work out' as planned.
Back to the shad. They are plankton feeders and sediment feeders and will have a big impact on how the ecosystem functions in terms of primary and secondary productivity and overall water quality of the water body resource. Gshad have big ecological impacts on the ecosystem due to their feeding habits. Shad can have a big impact on the species composition and abundance of the zooplankton community, most often the impact is negative long term. Many LMB waters with shad have water quality issues usually in terms of transparency. Keep in mind walleye usually do best in slightly clearer water of mesotropic conditions. Understand the ecological implications and impacts on the ecosystem of everything you stock in the lake. A good fishery also involves and good resource management.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 06/09/14 03:44 PM.
