This is my 1st attempt to start a thread . Over a year of reading, haven't seen question posed.
Pond in question, started off with a mistake, Stocking #1 Sept 2020 stocked 20#'s FHM, 100 CC, 100 BCP, 4 GC , Fish Truck. But my heart was on WE and
SMB, so 2nd stocking , 10 hr drive to NE Mo. Oct 15 of 2020 , 10 hrs home with 100 4-6" YP, 400 2" YP, 30#'s GSH, 30#'s FHM .
Then 3rd stocking April 2021 , 10 hrs to NE Mo. and 10 hrs home with 250 4-6" YP, 50#'s FHM, 40#'s GSH , 100 6-8" WE, 75 2-4"
SMB . Then 4th Stocking , May of 2021, serious infection of snails, pull out 20 #'s of FA, 20-40 snails mixed in, 400 2" RES, lo and behold to discover, 2 years later, I may have gotten 200 ? RES, but balance was BG and GSF, snails are gone , GSF are not.
Winter of 2021 was a pond covered in Ducks, spring of Cormorants , so April 2022 100 2-4" SMB 150 WE . Pond is stocked.
Pond is 2 Acres Surface, 3 Water Wells to maintain level if necessary, very little water under 6' , 4' and under is lined with pond liner and heavily graveled with seams of 6-8" rock 3' feet high 4-5' wide, from dam , out 30' . Water 9'-12' large areas, water over 15' common, deepest to 24' at normal pool .
Pond is pay to fish, SMB 5-6",9-10", and 13-16". WE 13-16". YP 6"-12"+. BG, all sizes lots of fat 9-10". GSF 2"-8", RES to 9". CC 3-4#
Tilapia stocked each summer, start 3", Harvested 12-14" , RBT each winter for a winter attraction.
Trying to remove CC, Customers can keep all they catch.
BCP haven't spawned big as yet, catch a few, nice size.
Sorry so long , so far. Now questions.
1) repeatedly I've seen recommendations for LMB , keep all 14" and less . SMB ? presently C&R, but with recruitment , from size
classes, any direction from anyone ? I feel that I need some weeded out ? Customers love them, many have never seen them, most
have caught huge LMB, but SMB are hard to come by without a long drive. Would like some 3#'s+ in next 2? yrs.
2) WE , doubt any recruitment, customers love catching them , recommendations ? Believe I can replace at only 4 hrs travel now
instead of 10 hrs.. thoughts ? Goal ? 3-4 #'s next yr or 2 ?
3) YP, I'm placing traps to see #'s , catch #'s have been excellent this spring , their thick, pond is full of GSH from 1.5"-9.5", seeing TP
everywhere, females with fry going in and out of their mouths, tons of SF @ thumbnail size. Haven't seen little YP yet, reason for trap.
YP have been C&R so far, customers enjoy catching them, because of novelty in W Okla. Look forward to allowing some keepers,
sizes, limits, thoughts ?
4) Would like to also grow some exceptional BG since I'm stuck with them , ? Slot limit ? reasonable ?
We have second pond below this one, another 2 acres, in same canyon, GSF are already there, water over spillway from 1st pond,
it also will be pay to fish.
Stocking was haphazard and zero knowledge, wish I had found PBF, much , much sooner, open to everyones thoughts. Side note,
we also have in conjunction with the 2 ponds a small 12 site RV Park. A Weekend Fish Camp.
Thank you in advance , I may never make any money at this, but the laughter and smiles of both adults and children catching fish,
catching fish they've never seen is wonderful . Any help growing bigger, more colorful , maximum numbers is appreciated.
Sorry for rambling, poor grammar. Give me your questions to clarify. Hope goals are evident in reading.
