Fatheads are going in on Monday so we should be good on that front. I definitely hear you on the not rushing it, I got really excited with a smaller pond I dug years ago and threw in 1100 brook trout 1-1.5" long when it was maybe 1/3 full and a year later they looked like those skeletal African cattle trying to cross the river and not get eaten by a crocodile in the documentaries. I figure I set myself back a couple years that time and I definitely don't want the same to happen...

For the Yellow Perch, next fall when I stock them what size would you do? Ideally I'd like for them to spawn Spring of 2027 unless that's bad for some reason. If I went with say predominately 6" do you think there's any harm in throwing in say 200 8-10" at the same time so there are some big ones to catch the next Summer?

As far as big predator fish, I heard Walleye won't spawn in a pond so might make a good control fish eventually but I do plan on building a couple spawning boxes to try and get Speckled Trout to spawn in it, would the Walleye use those too and overpopulate? Will big Rainbow or Speckled trout eat a full sized Bluegill? Thanks again for the help, I just don't want to do anything disastrous.