I am researching the possibility of having brook trout and smallmouth bass (along with a long chain of forage species) in a pond in upstate New York.
There is a plethora of strong running, year round, spring fed creeks on the property and it will not be hard to feed the spawning boxes that I have read about for brook trout. So, that is not going to be of concern.
What I am wondering is how will the brook trout fair as forage for smallmouth bass? I understand that they will not be a great forage base by themselves, but I thought that they would be good feed for the larger smallies and they would provide excellent table fish as well.
Also, what types of forage could also reproduce in these spawning areas that the brook trout will use? Are there other species usually only found in creeks that could possibly make the transition to pond life is such a spawning site were in place?
The pond will probably be around 6 to 8 acres. We're still in the very early planning stages, but given the lay of the land and the suitable area we have to put a pond, this seems to be the most likely size of the pond. Depths will go from shallow shallow to approximately 16 feet deep in the deepest parts. That is the plan anyway.
I know that there are a lot of questions here, but every time I google something it takes me here. So, I thought that I would join so that I could ask specific questions.
Thanks.
Ronald
