Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Walleye

Shad can't be used with Walleye for forage. Waters for WE are too cold for TFS to survive the winter. Gizzard Shad can survive the winter, but get too big for WE to eat the same year they are hatched.

University of Wisconsin Stevens Point has successfully raised and spawned generations of feed trained WE. Their brooders have never seen a live forage fish and were in the 8 pound range when I saw them. I was able to get some for 2 years in a row to stock in customers ponds but the jury is still out on how well they survive and grow. The feed trained WE can grow from hatching in Feb to 12" by late October when in an aquaculture setting. I will make some phone calls this summer to check up with the owners of the ponds that they were stocked in.

Saugeye do better in ponds than Walleye do.......... AND they prefer to eat panfish shaped fish like Crappie and Bluegill vs more fusiform shaped fish like YP.