ML, Sorry to hear about your loss in grow-out pond.
My grow-out experiment is still in progress,
The fact of the matter is that 4-6 inch HSB stocked late winter/early spring are near one year old stunted fish, held in crowded conditions, with meager feeding.- not optimum conditions for an experiment.
I have not been optimistic throughout the project, having found a number of dead fish on the bank the morning after stocking. I have no idea at this time as to survival rate but will soon begin transferring to main pond by hook and line capture.
The � acre 14 ft deep pond was less than one year old with an abundant population of fathead minnows. No feeding activity was observed until all fatheads disappeared early summer, when suddenly they began feeding on high protein pellets.
I was unable to observe daytime summer water temps, but recent early morning near surface temps have ranged in the low 80�s.
We have fed sparsely during the summer, but hand feeding in early morning and have observed active feeding.
Early summer cast net transfer was a failure after first couple of throws yielded 6-8 inch HSB, and fish became too spooked to continue.
I recently used a �hook less� pellet fly and they readily took the bait so expect no problems in catching � I have not a clue as to how many remain.
I would recommend to anyone beginning a �grow-out� project that healthy fish be stocked in the fall.
As mentioned in previous posts, our grow-out pond will become a HSB/BG pond since adult HSB stockers will be available from Todd Overton in the future.
I have been advised:
�As few as 3 pair for maximum forage production potential, but
then you won't have many adults for sportfishing for awhile.
For good bluegill fishing AND fair recruitment of young,
stock up to 50 total.�
I will begin transfer of 50, 6-8 inch BG from main pond next week, where we have a surplus of large BG.
Sorry for the long post � I�ll follow up with final results and survival percentages.
George Glazener
N.E. Texas � and 2 acre ponds
