Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Coppernose Bluegill

Rowly - Once hybrids are on feed they will probably stay on feed. They can easily in the north (OH, southMI) when on feed, fed twice a day, go from 3-5" to 7-8" in one summer. Saw it & done it with trout chow as feed (40% protein). 8" to 9" sizes on feed is easily possible for you in two summers starting with 3-4" fish. I've done the same growth for northern bgill. Once the bgill get 7-8" their growth slows to about 1/2" to 3/4" / yr.
Your bgill and perch will probably feed and stay on feed better than Cecil's because of his agressive bass hogging the feeding area & the feed. Fish are very territorial; the dominant ones tend to take over and crowd out the other less dominants. Cecil's bgill that went from pellets onto natural feed were probably forced by the bass to stay off the pellets. All the pellet trained male bgill I 've put in my perch pond are still on pellets (2yrs); I can count all of them eating. No bass in the pond. Walleye control the perch population. I'm training a new batch of 6-8", male bgill in cages to eat pellets for release this fall or spring.