Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations new pond owner ?about stocking my pond

i am almost finished with my pond that is approximately .75 acres and is an average depth of 7 feet deep and not shallower than 4 feet deep in any areas in eastern north carolina.i just purchased and installed an air 1 vertex aeration system in my pond and i am going to purchase a fish feeder and wanted to know if anyone could suggest a top of the line feeder i could purchase. also i want to stock my pond with channel catfish and either bluegill or hybrid bluegill first and i have heard that if i do this first and then 6 months to a year later i should stock my pond with bass.i am worried about the proper # of fish to stock my pond with.can someone please help me to ensure i stock my pond correctly. also is it better for me to stock my pond with bluegill or hybrid bluegill.can someone also please recommend the proper #of fish i should stock my pond with and how long should i wait until i stock my pond with bass.the last question i have is how much should i feed the fish per day. please help!!

Welcome. Easy answers to your questions but they are premature. The quick answer is 750 to 1,000 native bluegills and 5 lbs. of fatheads per surface acre. Never let anyone talk you into hybrid bluegills.

The reason, its premature; Check your water quality first to make sure the water will do a good job of sustaining life. Some actually won't. It may need fertilizer and prior to that may need lime so the fertilizer will work.

Read all of the posts here. Subscribe to Pond Boss mag and order Bob Lusks book called "Raising Trophy Bass". Then you'll understand why stocking rates are premature questions. Heck, I screwed up my first pond real bad by overwhelming ignorance. I bet a lot of the really knowledgable posters here will say the same thing.