Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose YP/SMB/WE Pond

So our pond recently filled about a a couple months ago and its a little under acre. The pond is in southern PA. Its average depth is around 8' and deepest point at 15'. The pond is wooded around one edge and is springfed and also has alot of drainage. My father was easily able to attain gravel and larger rocks from a friend which we lined about 80 percent of the pond with. Most of the shore is riff raff except for one shallow end which is mud/sandy mix. Our temps our around 65-70 degrees at surface, with the hottest we've recorded at 73. We do aerate and a water test showed up with an alkalinity of around 60 and ph of 6.8. Are those numbers good enough or should we lime. I know you need an alkalinity of above 20 ,but is more desired than 60. Anyway as for stocking we were thinking of stocking 20 lb FHM, 20 lb GSH, around 200 4"-5" YP and 200 6"-7" YP for good year classes. In the following fall we plan on stocking 50 5"-7" SMB and 25 5"-7" WE. I'd rather have this fishery more than BG/LMB/CC, but we figure if it doesn't meet our expectations after some years have pasted we could always revert back to BG/LMB or some other combination. Any suggestions or other comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance

I know very little about W VA. but that sound like a pretty heavy stocking plan for the forage base.

Ok so do you think I should cut down on YP or all predators. I thought that YP in this stocking situation would be more prey than predator and not have a heavy impact on the forage base. So should i cut down to 100 4"-5" and 100 6"-7" or even less? I also was considering stocking papershell crays, but the only place I can find them is SmithCreek NY. Does anyone know a closer source. Also if I do get the Papershells I will get some Pumpkinseeds to add to the forage base. Maybe around 200. I hear they are prolific breeders like BG and will possibly control parasites like fluke worm to by eating snails. I was going to add RES, but was scared they'd die in our tough winters.

I think your YP numbers are okay if you plan to use pellet fed perch. Without pellet feeding then reduce the YP numbers to 100-130 ea of both sizes. With no pellet trained perch I would allow the minnows to reproduce one season (summer) before adding YP. Larger stocker YP will consume a lot of FHM and target the youngest FHM (1"-1.5")first.

Your predator numbers may be a little too numerous at 50SMB & 25WE unless you add the pumpkinseeds(PS). With the PS the extra predators will likely be needed. I would add the PS when you add the adult perch. Bass later when PS have spawned to consume the 1sdt year class of PS. You don't want the PS to outpace the YP reproduction. PS numbers can out number the YP due primarily to body shape of YP which makes them easier and quicker to swallow for predators. Also YP as a specie are more likely to inhabit areas frequented by SMB and WE vs the PS preferred niche.

Walleye will likely consume some small SMB each year in their general diet. Watch the numbers of young 2"-4" YP&PS each year to evaluate the amount of predation. I suspect the WE will favor the YP as prey compared to PS. Your YP may occasionally need to be supplementally stocked. This means you have too many predators. You may need to manually remove some PS each year to keep them in balance so they grow to harvestable sizes (7"-9").
Amount of weed cover will affect how many predators are needed to maintain a balance. If you keep the weeds to a minimum fewer predators will be needed. Make sure there are no green sunfish mixed in with the PS that you buy.

Thanks for the info guys I'll keep everyone posted to show how it goes.