Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations First post....Am I babbling????? Nah...Just excited!!!!

What's up, Chuck?

So far I have ascertained this much of your goals:
1) You don't want catfish (no problem, don't stock any)
2) You would like trout (listen to Cecil; if he says they won't make it year-round, believe him. But you can stock them seasonally Fall thru Spring if you want.)

IF I were in your shoes, I think I'd do two separate stocking plans, each with a different emphasis. IMHO your smaller pond would be an excellent size to stock with HBG and some HSB, if you are willing to feed them. I'd stock FH in it this spring. Put HBG in the small pond this Fall; add HSB in the Fall or next Spring (IIRC the HSB experts may have warned that Fall stockers are slow growers; this may only apply to some sizes, or I may be completely off base. Bruce, George, et al. will know).

For the larger pond, I'd try for more of a Bass fishery. I'd stock FH, GShiners, and regular BG this Spring, then follow up with a limited number of LMB in the Fall or Spring 2007. Pellet trained LMB, if available, would allow a larger Bass biomass total in this .45 acre pond

In the future, the small pond could be restocked with more (larger) HBG & HSB; you have the options of 1) utilizing LMB culled from the big pond for additional predators and 2) stocking Male BG from the big pond and feeding them instead of HBG.

If any of this appeals, we can work out stocking numbers and saner minds than mine can correct them.

Welcome to the forum.