Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - On a small pond, does it matter if I stock FHs or

Once again this is my 1/5ac pond with no large fish. Stocked it with 100 BG minnows and 2lbs FHs from a local supplier in April 2025. Thought about adding2lbs of GSHers and a few dozen speckled bellies this fall. Also this fall I will add the LMB. Questions:

1. Is it value added to add the GSHers and Speckled bellies?
2. How many LMB, northern species; would you recommend adding? I was thinking a dozen

Thanks!

What are your goals for the pond? If you wan to emphasize LMB, GSH can be a good addition to the forage base. If you want to grow big sunfish, they are competition.

Your pond is around 93ft X 93ft at 8700sqft. Likely it will be slightly smaller surface acre most of the year due to many ponds rarely stay completely full during the summer.
1. FHM were a good starting minnow to get the stocked fish growing well. Once LMB are added even only as several individuals and as they reproduce and recruit many new bass expect the FHM to be gone in 2-3 yrs or sooner.
2. You will find it very difficult to locate specklebelly hybrid bluegill in your pond location of PA. Correction TN). Maybe have an alternate plan for a 2nd panfish specie. Okay I have a hard time keeping track of where ponds are and where the owner lives.
3. I suggest that you locate the fish supplier in PA-NY who sell papershell crayfish (aka calico crayfish). Stock 50-150. Until they are eliminated by the predator, these crays will help control delicate leafed vegetation and especially FA. Use 10%-20% of the total shoreline lined down to 3-6ft with rock, rip-rap and or broken concrete as habitat for crayfish and any other small fish.
4. You could stock some GSH and do it with the fingerling or juvenile LMB. Use 3-5 lbs GSH any size. Because the BG have had a head start on Apr 2025 some of the early developers will IMO spawned in 2026. I would add 15-20 LMB as fingerlings or better use the 4"-6" sizes.