So we closed on the property today!! I wasn't able to take a PH meter so i'll do that soon. I saw about 2 dozen 8-12" LMB but they weren't interested in the little slider i took to throw. I threw out about 15 times and caught 12 trout. So, they're doing well but i doubt they'll make the summer here. Also took a pic of the vegetation that does seem to be prevalent.
Next steps are to test water, stock some BG maybe some HBG and add structure. I'll talk to the MDC guy and see what they had in mind when they stocked it last year.
I am based in St Louis, and don't think MDC will stock private ponds....They only supply fry/fingerlings in new ponds. Plus, having Missouri state supplied fish makes your pond "Waters of the State". They can not force you to allow trespassing for just anyone to fish, but if they want, they can charge you the value of the adult fish in the pond if "public" fishing is not allowed somewhat....This is rare for them to do because of the negative PR....All that said, the ONLY fish you can legally stock in your pond now, without written permission from the state, because you have their fish in it, is Fathead Minnow. Until you kill off the pond and sterilize it, the pond will remain Waters of the State.....excerpt from part of the MDC info.....Pond owners who accept fish from the Conservation Department retain full rights to control access to their ponds. Accepting the free fish doesn't obligate them to allow fishing or other uses on their land by the public. However, ponds stocked by the Conservation Department are subject to provisions of the Wildlife Code of Missouri. The fish can't be bought or sold, and statewide fishing regulations must be observed. Those restrictions do not apply to pond owners who buy fish from commercial sources. FWIW, you could kill off the pond, restock with far better quality fish and stocking rates than the MDC standard of 500 BG, 100 LMB and 100 CC per acre, and be catching 4+ pound bass at the end of year two....The MDC plan barely gets you two pounders in year 3...Plus, you will not have to have a fishing license, or follow state regs that require permission/permit to stock any fish in "State Waters". Also, don't add Hybrid Bluegill as they will revert to their Green Sunfish genetics and harm your forage base...they also don't grow bigger then straight BG
