All fish seem to go upstream in a flood. I have a spring fed creek that originates about 300 yards from my fence line. The owner of that place tells me that he never stocked that creek. It’s loaded with BG and GSF.
It winds up in a public lake about 10 miles downstream after going through a couple of seasonal ponds. Some of those ponds are 5 to 10 acres with large, high, dams. The closest large one hasn’t been stocked in many years. BTW, most West Texas ponds can be seasonal and silted. No way a fish could come upstream from the public lake to my place.

Another neighbor has a 1/3 acre pond used only to water cattle. It has green sunfish that he didn’t stock. He has never stocked anything. It’s about 20 years old and fed only by runoff from his land.

BTW, don’t ever drink from a West Texas pond with cattle.

It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP Grandpa