Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Sacramento Perch

Hi All,

New to the forum, but have been lurking as I'm figuring out my pond. I'm in California and currently working on an approximately 1 acre pond. I was planning to stock it with bluegill, redear, LMB and channel cats. Pond will be for swimming, eating out of, and some water used for a small amount of livestock. While looking at some of the fisheries around me I noticed they sell sacramento perch, which I've never heard of despite growing up in Sac. Seems like it'd be a good eating fish and it grows much larger than the bluegill or red ear. I can't find much info as far as their behavior and niche in ponds, though. I'm leaning towards stocking them early with the forage fish, but hoping someone might have some experience with them.

Thanks!
Dylan

Heppy,

The sacramento perch was once abundant. It is endangered largely in response to non-native introductions of which non-native centrarchids are thought to be the most troublesome. It was once commercially fished and example of fish > 6 lbs are documented.

Yes, I think they can be a replacement for BG in California particularly. It's an odd situation for me to think about because I really do not understand what predators it evolved with. I think it would benefit from a predator helping it attain larger sizes but it may not be necessary to raise harvestable fish. IOW they might cannabilize well enough to do well under an annual harvest regime (like SMB). I think I would need a sense of the standing weights this species can achieve to recommend an appropriate goal for the standing weight of predators. But I think ideal would be less than 45 lbs per acre of LMB and I think, like BCP, bigger bass would be better. I like female LMB on a ladder with them. Shouldn't take many, maybe an initial stocking of 10/acre with a 2/acre/year ladder in the 12" lengths. Under the scenario ... LMB are a bonus fish that are catch and release ... I think this might support a 40 lb/acre year harvest (possibly more) of the perch.