Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fish populations

I want bug bass and bluegill and crappie in my pond with some catfish. Should I listen to this sight and not mix them or to the guy selling me fish who says it can be done?

J2b2,

If you can add some more details about your pond such as general location, size, depth, existing fish populations, etc., you will enable more people here to give you good input.

Depends on your own situation I did it 3 yrs ago after everyone on here said no way it cant be done. You should see my fish. Bass 3-4 pound range all day and are big and fat. Huge bluegills, big crappie and my cats were 24 inches last fall . All great eating. Everything is going crazy my family and friends love to fish it and the kids have a ball. No one can believe it including me. I have put some TLC in it and have a huge water turnover which I think is the key. Someone on here told me once to remember selling fish is his job you have to make the right decision by doing the studying for your situation what is right for you. (AMEN) The old man that told me to do it said I was reading to many magazines and he knew more than most and I am glad I listened. People on here have great info and try to help but unless they see pond and know your direct situation its hard to help. Overall they say no to crappie if you want bass. My bass are thriving and are getting big fast. Listen to these people they are very friendly and very very helpul. There is no place like this will the wealth of info. One thing I almost forgot have fun with it dont get tied up if you want to fish for it put it in.

JJbb, it's really up to you.

Remember these things:
Nobody here is trying to sell you anything.
You reap the benefits and/or pay the penalties.
Mother Nature always gets even.

Do as you please.

JJbb, please also say where you are from. The part of the country helps us give you advice.

bc, you have an initial stocking that is doing well. We are all interested in what happens next, especially with the crappie. Have you started to restock the CC yet? Do you have a plan for restocking? Keep us informed.

Norm I do not plan any restocking of the Cats. Their original purpose was only to be the main course. I have left a few just because they are so much fun to catch and always put up a great fight and the kids love to catch them,though I am not a big fan of catfish fishing If I properly I believe the cats should not reproduce. Now we all know who mother nature is so we will just have to wait that one out. As for the rest I am starting to harvest all the Crappie I can catch (not near as many as I expected but a few) And also I feel I have to start harvesting the blue gill and the shellcrackers as much as I do not want to because they are getting so big and so much fun to catch I am afraid if I dont everything will suffer. The bass are doing great though I believe I will have to start on those soon to I am going to try and stick with a slot limit approach on the bass keeping the bigger ones and harvesting any under 15 inches or so.I will keep you posted but it seems to be another great year so far I hope everything I learned is wrong but I think with proper harvesting my pond will be alright. If it was one where you caught and released and so forth I do not believe my course of stocking would work. You have to harvest and harvest a fairly good amount if your not willing to do that or do not want to put any time in it I would go buy the book on stocking ponds.

bc, thanks for your input! Your lake is at the point where we can all really learn from it. Something you might consider is having a slot limit on your panfish also.

Thanks Norm any suggestion on the panfish? I know what the state says they say eat them all if your goal is bigger bass. They are so much fun to catch because of there size I hate to eat them. I know a little about the bass but not quite sure on the bluegill. My little girl and I have been trapping the small ones with nets and traps to to see what is going on. There seem to be good numbers we are thinking of only catching the big brutes which are getting ready to spawn right now here in southeastern ohio. Should I take them now or wait till after the spawn?

bc, I personally like a slot limit on panfish (crappie and bluegill). If we were harvesting fish to eat, I would let people keep anything under 8 inches for the bluegill and 10 inches on the crappie.

My thinking is that you want these big panfish to dominate the population. You want them to do all of the breeding and continue to grow.