Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations help on restocking or not

Well I have about a 1/4 acre creek that we kinda cleaned out and dammed up last summer. I stocked about 200 CNBG in July that were about 2-3 inches. By the fall almost all were 6" or more and were nice and fat. When spring came around all the fish were looking really so I started feeding again. Then all the rain came which was wonderful I am not complaining about that at all but I ended up losing about half of the dam and a lot of my bigger CNBG. Now I have good number of CNBG but they are 2-3 and some that are 3-4 inches. I was planning on stocking 8-10 HSB in the fall but I'm worried I won't have enough forage fish for them now. Should I just wait until next to let the bluegill population to get bigger and catch back up or can I go ahead and stock the HSB. It also looks like I have lost almost all of my fathead minnows. I have also had 3 catfish and 3 bass the got washed down to me as well. What I was thinking was stock some CNBG that were at least 6" when I stocked the HSB so that the newly stocked CNBG wouldn't get eaten. Also what to do with the bass and catfish that got washed down to

I wouldn't worry about the LMB and CC that were washed away.

The larger CNBG will probably pull off a spawn if stocked when water temps are still in the upper 70's around a full moon. Don't expect HSB to control BG, as they get too big too quickly.

With the unstable weather, there's the chance of everything getting washed away again.

If you want a LMB in there, I would only stock one so there is no reproduction. Add more HSB if the BG seem to be getting out of hand.

You could always stock some FHM and GSH for forage.

Sorry I didn't put that well essup. The lmb and cc are now in my creek and I didn't stock them they were washed into my creek from someone upstream of me. See that's what I was wanted to do was only have one bass but now i have 3 bass in there. I'm working on removing the others bass. I'm thinking about removing all but one cc and maybe remove it when it gets around 2 pounds then just replace it ever so often.

Alright I'll get a few CNBG when I stock my HSB. I'm also thinking about putting a few CNBG in some horse tanks and feeding them so in case I lose the dam again I'll be able to replace what ever gets washed away. Will they be able to spawn in something as small as a horse tank?

Also would it be a good idea when I do stock te HSB to get a couple different size so I can kinda stagger the age of them? Or will their age be all about the same?

An article I read said that you can use bowls of gravel as beds in cages in a pond. I would think if that works in a cage, it would work in a horse tank. No personal experience...I am about as green as they come.

Sean

Thanks Sean I'll try that.

Figure 9 on the following site

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G9473

Sean

thanks for the info Boburk.

Would it help keep the CNBG in check better if I stocked heavy with grass carp so they would eat more of my pondweed and coontail so CNBG can't get away from the HSB as easily? But not so much that there is nothing left.
Or I could put a net up so the CNBG only have a small area to hide in?
right now I would say the creek is covered in about 60-70% of coontail and American pondweed.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated thanks