BJ - Mainly because you are in TN I would stock on Mar 15 if you can get the SBS for that delivery. I would stock the 2"-3". If you live at the pond, then see if you can get some (as in 3-4 lbs) of small size fish food (size 2mm-2.4mm) ) from Jones when SBS are delivered. If Jones will not sell you just 3-5 lbs of fish food, I will arrange with a local fish farm that will ship you some appropriate pellets for those 2"-3" SBS. Feed those SBS some good quality pellets and those SBS will be 6"-7.5" long by Oct 25 when HSB arrive. You may need to build a feeding ring round or rectangle to contain the ¼-1/2 cup of pellets that are used as feeding the amount once the SBS find the feeding area. Start adding just a small handful of pellets at first feed training until minnows learn the routine and lead the SBS by example. By June-July I would be increasing the size of the fish food to 4mm-5mm, thus you don’t want to initially buy a lot of first batch of pellets. The HSB will also get growing on those 4-5mm size pellets.

Use the unused money by buying the smaller SBS to find and install good habitat to help protect minnows when after HSB are added in the growing years of 3-5 and beyond .

If you don’t live at the pond the SBS should still grow well on the natural foods available in the pond and should be around 4”-5” by fall. If your pond water is murky all summer due to rain inflows it may take a little longer for SBS to finally find the feeding area, however minnows will find the pellet feed first and SBS will soon learn from the minnows for the feeding zone.