Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss New venture

We do have an established stocking option to cover 2 common problems, one being distance and delivery charge, the other is predation. Neither can be controlled and I hope everyone understands that. Especially after spending 70k on a truck to pull a 20k trailer-both have tires and upkeep that has to be covered. The cost of delivery puts the fish on our responsibility to get them there, but it seems folks won't pay 2$/mile delivery but will pay 3$/mile to drive and get their fish.
The option is to stock 4 day old fry at 1200/ac which is derived from a state strategy that has proven very effective in recovering 15-30 recruits per year per acre, which 30 is the max number recommended for biannual stocking of a single year class or 15/ac for every year.
The stocking method has to be followed fairly closely as these fish are not just released off of the dock but has proven very effective in state stockings down to 3 acres.
I stocked 2 ponds in the Wichita area with fry at 1200/ac in 2023 and recapture this fall was 16"-18" fish-less than 2 yrs old. Numbers were a tad high in 1, about right in the other. These were 1/2ac and 1.75ac ponds.
For new ponds with no fish other than minnow forage present, I can't recommend SAE fry for first year stocking.. I'd go with intermediates @ 25-35/ac with the stocking of your normal predators and that number would change with consideration of the species being stocked.
There are a couple of situations that higher stocking rates would be recommended but that will be handled on a case by case basis and a good understanding of end goals.