Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose LMB and HSB in same pond good or bad??

Hey guys!
So for my new 1 acre pond that is 25ft deep I was planning on stocking FHM,GSH,RES,BG, and LMB but, was toying with the idea of also sticking HSB. Is this a good idea or would they drop my number and quality of LMB which I would like to have a heathy stock of. I know HSB would eat pelleted food right along side the BG so they would not compete as much. Would like any info I can get and has anyone had any experience with this? Also would they spawn in my pond?

Thank you very much!

HSB will not spawn in the pond, unless it's the rare 1% that has the perfect cover/structure.

If I had to put a number on it, I'd say reduce your LMB stocking rate by 1 fish for every 2-4 HSB stocked. It all depends on the amount of pellets you feed 'em.

esshup was thinking of stocking my normal rates og BG to LMB and only stock 25 HSB along with them and see how it goes, if any thing like you said they shouldnt spawn so they will ether be caught out or die off opening up new spots for more fish in the pond

The HSB along with LMB should not compete any more than the influence of CC when stocked with LMB, because the HSB & CC are eating pellets and supplementing their diet with fish. Thus a very similar feeding niche that CC & HSB have when fed pellets in the pond setting. The degree of competition of CC and HSB eating pellets with LMB is not well documented. IMO there will be some amount of loss of LMB biomass due to the extra CC or HSB biomass in the pond. The LMB-HSB and panfish all share the carrying capacity.

Dinsmoreoutdoors

I am no expert whatsoever but I have stocked LMB / CC / (25) HSB / CNBG / NBG / RE in my 1-7/8 acre pond.

First stockling was CNBG / NBG / RE then 6 months later introduced in my LMB / LMB / HSB. My third year I introducted another 15 HSB.

Our largest HSB that has been caught was a 4.5 lb last summer. With the hot temperatures, the HSB would stress and die off after being caught so we began harvesting the HSB. We have removed 8 I think from the body of water thus far. Our long term goal is to start removing a few each year and continue to repolace what we harvest. My thought process is we will have multiple sizes to catch from at any given point.

I feed aquamax 400, 500 & 600 feed, 7 times a day at different timed intervals. In all, I am feeding about 70 lbs of feed per month. As the water cools off as it is now doing, the panfish slow down but the CC and HSB continue to be agressive while feeding and if they feed like last year during the winter, I do expect them to slow down.

Sorry for the long post but I just wanted to get some background out there as to what I have going on. We have jug fished for the catfish using live small CNBG / NBG and end up catching LMB as well as HSB. From this, the HSB are supplementing their diet with fish as Mr. Bill Cody has stated above. The mouth size of the HSB determines what size HSB we are catching using a jug. We have also had HSB hitting top water lures and worms during winter and summer time.

I have captured most all fish size, weights through the 4 years of my pond life and will have a shock boat coming in this month or next month to bring up the fish and see exactly what the balance is at this point. My concern is the amount of panfish size that the HSB & CC have been feeding on so hopefully this will let me know where I am at. One and a half years ago I added another 50 CC to the 7 CC I had left in the pond, 3-4 months later, the water turned Yahoo choc milk color and has never cleared. I do plan to harvest all CC out of the pond when the shock boat arrives......I am hoping the CC and the culprit.....

Coupe

yea I was planning on stocking 25 HSB and maybe 25 CC as kind of a clean up crew for fish that I clean

10 HSB for one acre is plenty with the other fish you note. If so hold off on the CC and be sure to feed enough.

I was told HSB will help keep the LMB numbers down...

Sean

Isnt one of the major Bass managment issues on one acre ponds with LMB over population? wouldn't this assist in your efforts if this is the case? Just thinking out load here.

Carrying capacity is a much bigger concern with too many lbs. of fish. HSB are not big predators of LMB young. BG eat way more LMB yoy.

Also of concern is the water temps in summer in small Fla ponds with HSB especially if there is a high carrying capacity utilization.