I don't know much about your region either but I am curious what your local fish farms offer in the way of forage fish (minnows and shiners). It seems as though each species has its own spawning habitat and if you have some time while the pond is still filling it's a great time to try to add it in.

Many of the posts I've seen about stock also indicate that you want your forage fish to get a good head start on your predator fish so they have ample time to spawn/recruit.

YP are listed as both predator and prey species depending on their use in the pond. They are also one of the earliest spawning fish of the year.

If it were me in your shoes I'd be looking at the forage first (now or next spring). Get it established and look to stock predators perhaps in the fall of 2026 or Spring of 2027.

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1.5acre LMB, YP, BG, RES, GSH, Seasonal Tilapia
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