YP especially those trained to eat pellets and SMB will do well in that 1/4 - 1/3ac pond. As he digs that pond try to get some 12ft -14 ft deep bottom area. Without pellets the pond won't raise much more than 1 mess of fish per year. Adding pellets will boost the harvest to 3-4 meals of fish per year. If you decide to add HBG I think you will also need to add 5-6 HSB to help reduce numbers of the HBG offspring. Consider the redear sunfish instead of HBG / BG. Add plenty of structure as in 25% of the shoreline with habitat most of it dense for good survival of YP. If too many small YP or HBG become abundant in later years remove some of the structure and add several more HSB. You might want to delay adding HBG until year 4-6 to first see how well the YP-SMB perform to your goals. As far as BG I would not add them because without LMB BG numbers are hard for SMB-HSB to keep their numbers low so as to not stunt. HBG would be a better substitute to BG. As I mention,, first try the YP as panfish and then later add some redear sunfish or HBG in you think the pond needs a bluegill type fish. You will be surprised how well 9"-12" YP will perform and taste compared to HBG. If you feed pellets and manage numbers well you should see more 12"-14" YP.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 12/02/21 07:46 PM.
