Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - What type should I chose ?

Been thinking about changing the fish in my pond. As of now I have GSF, RES, HSB, KOI, 2 grass crap, LMB, few CC, Crappie, and various bucket stocks from friends. Was thinking i dont eat much fish and Father in law dont fish anymore. Basically i just feed them for my entertainment. I would like to keep the koi and HSB for sure. Would like to add a few of the largest predator non-reproducing fish that will live in SE kansas. My thoughts are mayb if I had just a few large ones they could fest on all my stunted LMB and crappie. Not sure what's all available but I thought it could be an interesting conversation if nothing else. Let's hear your thoughts and ideas. ¾ acre bout 12 or so feet deep. Half of the pond is 5 feet or less.

The "i" is right next to the "u", isn't it.

The paddle fish feed mostly on the larger zooplankton such as crustaceans like Daphnia the 'water flea' types and not protozoans nor rotifers. Even some of the smaller crustaceans are not retained by the gill raker filters or food strainers of paddlefish. Some places that raise paddlefish train them to eat pellets!!.

All ponds, especially lower density fish ponds, will develop a large waxing and waning community of zooplankton. The amount and types of zooplankton present is primarily dependent on fertility of the pond and the type of filter feeders present, usually fish, that eat the larger zooplankton that would feed paddlefish. The more fish a pond has,,,,, generally the smaller the sizes and fewer of large zooplankton that are present. Swim-up fish fry usually first start eating some plankton algae, protozoans, rotifers and smallest crustaceans. Later they eat lots of larger zooplankton until most of the fingerling fish convert to eating larger invertebrates. If the pond contains lots of minnows and panfish, they usually keep the largest zooplankters well cropped and at low densities. Although good weed habitat can help serve as some refuge for larger zooplankton. If the pond receives routine algaecide treatments this has a big reduction influence on the types and sizes of zooplankton present. Algaecides do not just kill algae. Thus algaecide treatments can put varying limits on the zooplankton community.

IMO only certain ponds with strong, abundant zooplankton populations and lower small fish densities would be good candidates for paddlefish unless the paddle fish were pellet trained. Shad being mainly filter feeders eat lots of phytoplankton and zooplankton and as such keep the plankton well cropped. Good sport fishery ponds need good viable zooplankton populations to produce high quality fisheries. This is one reason that ponds are fertilized to produce abundant phytoplankton that feeds the crustacean zooplankton and invertebrate communities that are important to producing the overall fishery.

Ouch we have get togethers and always end up swimming. I better leave them further down south. But yes that would kick up the party to a 10 no a hurry. Lol