Since you have access to Fenders, they would be your closest choice IF and a big IF they will guarantee pellet trained YP. BEST thing about Fenders is they often have in Fall walleye and pike. IMO you will need pellet trained YP if you want those really big YP quickly in a pond. If stocking YP in Spring use only 4"-6"ers and maybe a few 6"-8"ers. For 0.8ac - 200-250 4"-6" and 50-75 6"-8" pellet fed. If you stock some pellet eating 7"-8" in Spring 2026 they will be 10"-11" by November. Other VERY good and best farms for guaranteed pellet eating highest quality YP are Shelby at Anna OH and Brehms Fish Farm West Liberty - as my best choices.. YP spawn will be the first April they are in the pond of 2026 or 2027. Make arrangements NOW if you want some YP in late March - very early April 2026 to for this year's YP spawn.
"350-400, 1-2" or 3-4" YP" bought in Spring are last year's slow growing runts. 1 year old well fed YP should be at least 5"-6" long; some can be 7"-8.5" at 365 days old. High quality well fed YP spawned in Spring can and should be 5"-8" long by Winter. Those will be your premium perch for stocking and fast growth. Don't buy slow growing runt perch of 2"-3" in the Fall or Spring for the first pond stocking if you want a premium YP fishery.
Koi - IMO you are allowed only ONE in 0.8 ac. Two koi risk highly the chance of reproduction. Koi reproduction guarantees muddy water. I have a client that stocked 3 koi and now after the first Spring's koi spawn,,,,, he and she have many koi, many regrets and he is paying the DUMB TAX. Koi are much much easier to add than get out of the pond. Shelby FF has the best high quality fish food for YP AND a very colorful selection koi of 6"-10". Have her pick out her favorite ONE - maybe she will like a butterfly koi that Shelby has. An 8" koi can grow to 16"-18" the first YEAR. I now use one koi in ponds to cloud the water when the pond is too clear and then growing too many weeds. Pond aerators mix and disperse the mud and silt cloud from the feeding activities of koi - they are bottom rooters just like river carp. Use TP and GC to control filamentous algae and delicate weeds If your roommate has to have several koi, build her as FishingRod says, a garden pool. In the end it will be cheaper with fewer headaches than you paying the Koi DUMB TAX.
IMO forget the rosey reds. Use just FHM. Put roseys in your wife's garden pond for a supply of breeder Roseys. Rosey are probably more expensive and will get eaten much faster than regular FHM. Don't expect to see rosey reds after the first year when all adults die at 12-18mo old and YP will eat every newly hatched rosey. Thus no breeders.
Hybrid striped bass HSB are also a very good predator to help control YP but they are not good at eating koi. I recently learned for good and best control of prolific YP in a pond, add One LMB, One SMB One CC (or 1-2 WE) and then later if needed enough HSB and or walleye to get the job done. Your WE will not get enough of the proper foods to grow big in 0.8acre; maybe 20"-21" and rarely plump like Lk Erie WE. The first 3 noted predators will eat a total of 700-1000 small fish per year and grow like gangbusters. One does not really need reproducing predators to have a great YP pond. For the best YP fishery you should EVERY YEAR be harvesting as many YP egg ribbons as possible. JUST one hatching YP ribbon can easily produce at least 2000 or more small YP. One egg ribbon from 8" YP has around to 10,000-18,000 eggs depending on body condition of the female. When YP are eating pellets with the proper removal/predation expect to harvest from 0.8ac - 120 8"-13" YP per year. With proper slot limit harvest, expect some of the YP to be 14"-15". 14" YP are possible after just 3 yrs when done right.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/06/26 03:45 PM.
