Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Hatchery pond question

I have an opportunity to use some old catfish lakes that were used to grow and sell catfish. I want to grow bluegill and threadfin for our lakes we have and save money from having to buy fish each year to supplement what is in the lakes. It gets costly and that's one sure way to make sure a lake has quality fishing by adding bait. Has anyone on here got any advice on the cost less the the fish. I know I'll need a net and that's my largest concern as far as cost. If it goes well there is enough water to possibly make some money doing it down the road. I was just looking for advice of those who might have done this in the past.

scampbell, are you absolutely, positively sure that there are no fish in these ponds? Any remaining fish could wreck your plans, so ensuring that these ponds are void of any pre-existing fish would be my first task.

As far as a net? Are the ponds rectangular like commercial hatchery ponds, or round like recreational ponds? Lots more variables in net size and cost if the ponds are round with varying depths and sizes.

I only have limited experience from my 1/20th acre forage pond and 1/10th acre sediment pond. I have seined neither.

If you are looking for fingerling production and growout to some size, from my readings I would only stock a very small number of breeding pairs. Like say 5 males and 5 females. The less adults you have in the pond, the less predation you have. A few pairs of good breeding adults will produce thousands upon thousands of fry. If you had say a hundred larger fish in the pond, they would eat a significant number of the fry. Better to keep the predatory agult numbers down.

I'll have to poison the lakes for sure to make sure there are no fish. The shape would be more circular than rectangular.
I really don't want buy a new net, is there anywhere to find one used. Need one probably 300 feet long 4 to 5 ft in height.

Do you have a place to pump water to, so you could drain it down? Less water usually means easier to do a job, whatever that may be.

Yeah I think we can drain some of the water. Anyone have any places to check out for a net?

Seine or castnet? Where are you in relation to Tallahassee?

I'm going to need a seine net. I'm close to Pensacola.

I see seine nets on Craigslist and some on facebook groups relating to mullet or flounder.

Thanks I'll take a look at it.

I cast net salt water. And when I have caught catfish they do the death roll like a gator hope they don't with a seine net because it's difficult to get them out when they do.

I'll only seine BG and TFS. I hope no catfish get in these ponds.