Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Need Help, Starting Over

jawbone; here are a couple of my thoughts to help you when you continue on your pond restocking.
1. keep in mind that you only have a .5 ac pond and most experts including PBoss say you shouldn't or it is real hard to grow bass & bgill in less than one acre. I think to do it you have to be aware of several things.

2. In a small pond less the 1 ac the fish get educated real fast to fishing pressures (lures). There have been studies that bass can pass on "lure smart" genes to their offspring (I have the reference). Thus each generation in a small pond keeps getting hook smarter & harder to catch. If you stocked 100 bass in a sm pond and when they are 12-13" long fish them; some will bite over and over, some couple times, some only once and a few will never bite. Obviously those "dumb" ones that are removed, no longer pass dumb genes on the future little ones; thus with continued heavy fishing pressure bass and even bgill keep getting harder & harder to catch. Just heavy fishing with catch and release, also creates "hook smart fish". This could be one reason you were having a harder time catching fish in the old pond. The smaller the pond and the more the fishing pressure the more this is true.
3. Thus I do not recommend you put any of the old fish back into the rebuilt pond, start out with all fresh fish which will have a large number of "dummies" to provide good fishing until they get educated.
4. Always try to maintain some fish in each size class. This helps keep a balance so when old fish die one close to its size fills in.
5. I think it is best if you don't start out right away with big fish unless you can stock a mixture of sizes to obtain a natural balance. Plus dummy fish should be used so they pass on fewer hook smart genes. Big fish depend on lots of the appropriate sized prey/forage to grow and maintain health. Without it they become stressed. Size structure and correct numbers are important in a healthly balanced fish community. Follow Bob Lusk's advice "Growing Trophy Bass". Of course keep in mind he says you can't or shouldn't do bass/bgill in less than one acre. It's not easy for numerous reasons; some listed above. It can be done it just has limits. The bigger the water the easier it is to do a bass/bgill fishery and maintain good fishing.