Originally posted by Bob Lusk:
I would recommend five pounds of fathead minnows per acre, so stock 20 pounds. Wait to stock bluegill until you have more, and deeper, water. The objectives of fatheads are for them to grow and reproduce often. They can overcome heavy predation via exponential reproduction next spring. Bluegill, on the other hand, take longer to mature and reproduce. If predators (especially birds) find them this winter in water only a few inches to four feet deep, they can sure eat a bunch of them. Then, you go into the spring not knowing what you have. I would wait until you have at least 8 feet of water and 2/3 of the surface area covered, going into a rainy season. At that point, stock 1,000 bluegill per acre or 750 bluegill with 250 redear per surface acre. Plus, if you lose bluegill, that's a major investment in the backbone of the food chain. If you lose some fatheads, that's a snack.
You need to listen to him, as he's been kind enough to tell you THE ANSWER, and ignore most everything else, except for it being good conversation.
