I live in Tennessee. I started in 2021, I have stocked 2 ponds that are mine and 4 for other people. I have some 12 inches long and really fat. I got mine from Whisker catfish Farm in Bowling Green, KY. I stock more red ear than anyone else. I stock them 50/50 with either coppernose or speckle bellies. My best pond is Red ear and Speckle Bellies. But the hybrid, the copper and the Red ear make is really cool in my other pond. So if you were stocking 500 bream total I would do 250 Red ear 250 something else. So me having luck getting them to take feed maybe, 1. That's the first fish I stock, and I am getting them taking feed before the others and, 2. I stock more of them.
Biggest Shelley that we have weighed was just over 2lbs, we have many 1.5 lbs or so. I think, I have some bigger that eat pellets but have not caught them yet. I do think that around 60 to 70 percent will take pellets. The skinny ones I have don't or do not do it often.
