I will be ordering fish soon and just wanted to share my plans in case you all have any suggestions that might help tweek the results. The idea is to manage a small pond that produces good size HBG and BG while using HSB and LMB as population control. Supplemental feeding will take place.
Background:
1/4 acre renovated pond (late 2016, filled early 2017), 10 foot deep, massive amounts of FHM spawns from last year and, YES, massive amounts of bullfrog tadpoles left over from last year, 300 crawdads bucket stocked last year, Central Missouri location, and 25 acres of watershed. (I realize the risk of this watershed, but must ignore it as the pond was originally put in to help control the amount of water "coming down the mountain". It has 3 foot of freeboard in conjunction with a 15" diameter drain pipe that really does a good job during heavy rains.)
The Plan: To be stocked about the time the FHM pull their first spawn...late April or May?
275, 3-4" HBG
40, 3-4" RES
30, 4-6" HSB
100, BG
LMB will be bucket stocked from a known overpopulated/stunted pond in the 3-5" range late in the summer to a quantity of about 25. (Or purchased from a fishery if the bucket stocking attempt does not produce the right size of LMB.
I might even throw in a couple of CC, preferably albino, for kicks.
How does that sound? And, thanks in advance for the discussion!
