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Hello folks. I've finally got the funds together to hopefully complete my pond this summer (hoping to not get ripped off again), and I can't be more excited! It's going to be around 0.4 to 0.5 acres, 12-15 ft deep. I know I definitely want BC (Blue Catfish) and HSB, but I can't decide on the 3rd species. At first, I wanted to try Crappie, despite the risks, I thought they'd make great forage for the BC, and if they stunted, I'd be fine with that. A pond full of stunted Crappies would keep the Catfish fed I'd imagine. Then I got to thinking, what about RES? They don't overpopulate like BG can, and can get to some good sizes. Not the ideal forage fish for BC or HSB in my opinion. Lately, I've been thinking about White Perch. There's not a whole lot of information out there regarding WP in ponds. The huge negative for why they're not a great pond fish is because they eat a lot of fish eggs, and they're prone to stunting as well. They also usually require running water to reproduce, which would be interesting to try to manipulate by running a water pump(s) into the pond to create flow. I don't know. They're also great to eat, and due to their shape, would make great forage for both the BC and HSB. They also aren't picky when it comes to food, which would make them easy to feed and catch. I've caught them on chicken livers and small pieces of hot dog before.
And I do not want BG or LMB.
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