you can put out breeding matts around the pond too.
I read shag carpet or something like that for the eggs to stick to can help, it can be attached to some structure in the pond.
I bucket stocked mine around feb and was able to find large ones carrying eggs ready to spawn. But I already had predators so needed large ones ready to spawn in an attempt to get recruitment.
If you dont have predators yet, I suppose timing doesnt realy matter as much.
However, dependant on you completion date and your return date getting them in before spring would stil be ideal. If they go in mid to late summer you might have to wait all the way till next spring to get a spawn.
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