I have a 5 acre pond that was just drained and it is now half full of water (about 8 feet deep at the deep end). I really want to have largemouth bass and crappie as the main source of fish caught when i go out and fish it. I've heard that crappie are not good to have in a bass pond due to the fact that they will compete with the bass for the same forage. I don't really care if i have trophy bass in my pond i just want to have 4 to 6 pound bass to catch. I am going to get some grass carp today to put in the pond. My pond is in north Mississippi. Anyone have any advice?

MJ, Welcome to the forum!

Have you had underwater vegetation problems in the past? I was wondering why the grass carp in a new pond. Advice? Don't stock the crappies. Buy The Pond Boss book Raising Trophy Bass. While a 4#-6# LMB isn't a trohpy in your eyes, it is to some people and the principles in the book will help you get to your goals.

What other fish are you planning on stocking in the pond?

i was told that "by the book" i should stock catfish, bluegill, bass, and bream/shellcrackers. i have had algea and duckweed problems in the past before we drained this pond before.

MJ, the "book" is a very broad general stocking plan for everybody. Just like buying a car, there is a base model that will fit everybody's needs, and options that customize a car for each particular customers wants and needs. You can do the same with the pond. What "book" are you referring to? (where did you read it?)

Grass Carp (GC) don't prefer to eat algae and duckweed. They will only eat those if they are out of other preferred food sources in the pond.

Crappies in small ponds 1) take a lot of intensive management and 2) take a lot of food from LMB mouths when the LMB are small.

You CAN stock the pond with Crappie and LMB, but I don't think that will be a successful stocking plan if your goal is catching 4# to 6# LMB.

Thank you for your input. After what you have told me and some thought i guess i can just leave the the crappie someplace else so i have other places to go and fish and can catch other types of fish in the area. We stocked about 20 GC in my pond this morning. We are going to start with stocking Shellcracker/Bream. What would you recommend stocking in my pond if i want the main catch to be LMB and secondary catch to be bream?

Pretty much just those 3 fish species. LMB, RES (Redear Sunfish or shellcracker) and BG (Blue Gill or bream). The other fish that I would consider stocking is Coppernose Bluegills. But, that's only if you are far enough South to have them survive the winters. They don't like cold winters, and won't survive up here.

Usually the BG/RES mix is an 80/20 mix. Substitute Coppernose for BG in any combination, or if you are far enough South, just stock CNBG and RES.

Are you planning on starting a supplemental feeding program?

I don't know about the supplemental feeding program. I don't want them to get used to me feeding them and me not be able to catch them with a lure. I don't fish with live bait unless it's a cricket and I'm fishing for bream. Is that what you were speaking of when you spoke of a feeding program?

I was referring to feeding them with good quality pelleted food. Either by hand every day or with a fish feeder. There are good reliable fish feeders out there. I prefer the Texas Hunter brand, and AquaMax Carnivore fish food (either 500 or 600 size). Feeding the fish won't make a difference in the catchability, if anything they will be easier to catch if you use a Stubby Steve's imitation fish pellet.

A friend feeds his fish by hand every day (AM 600) and fishing for LMB in his pond with a 6" Pumpkinseed colored worm works the best. I feed too, and here's a LMB that I caught from my pond 3-16-2011.

MJ Assuming there were NO fish left in your pond after draining it,I recommend stocking 10 to 20 lbs of fathead minnows NOW to jump start your bass growth in the coming years. They have the ability to spawn numerous times before the bass can eat them.

i don't really want to put FHM in my pond because i don't want to catch FHM. i'm planning on starting with RES.

I doubt that you will be catching FHM on a hook and line, no matter how hard you try. They are a good forage base for the larger fish, i.e. larger sunfish, YP, LMB, etc. They only get to 3" long or so.

why do a lot of local pond owners tell you they dont want people to fish with minnows?

they are worried about people dumping the leftovers in the pond. And many bait shops do not sort there fish well if at all so you can end up with some Greensunfish, bullheads, and other unwanted fish.

Excellent reply. A lot of fisherman purchase "minnow" traps and set them in small streams or lake edges. That becomes their bait for the day. As our friend above said, it can become a disaster in a pond if they are dumped. Most larger bait dealers buy their bait fish from reputable fish farms where the chance of cross contamination is far less.

i ve heard of people catching large FHM while fishing for crappie in spillways...could that happen?

If by FHM they're referring to fathead minnows... No. FHM reach less than 4" as a max size.

ok....thank you. I think i'm going to start with the FHM and some bream...i've got a friend that lives on a small lake that has invited me down to get some bream and they are about to spawn. It might be the perfect time for me to do this. is it good to put bream and FHM in at the same time? What is the proper timing of stocking the different types of fish. I know i need to get the forage fish established first right? I read somewhere that if i stock the bluegill/bream now that i should wait until the next season to stock the LMB...is that right?

Look here for basics and then state your goals here and we can help you customize your plan for your goals. Look on pg 11 of the link.

http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p1428.pdf

As much as it sounds like a good idea, I wouldn't. (transfer the BG). I did and regretted it. This was before I found PB. I regretted it for the following reasons: 1) I caught mostly Male BG. I had a feeder on the pond, and not only were they not habituated to the pellets (grew slowly) I didn't have enough females in the pond for a good spawn. I played catch-up the next few years trying to get enough females in the pond. 2) I accidentally introduced European Water Milfoil into the pond. I spent a LOT of time trying to kill it, and I don't think I have it all yet, going on 7 years later.....

The cost of the fish is one of the least expensive things that you will be spending money on. It's the 2nd most important part of the pond process too, right behind constructing the pond correctly.

it all sounds like it makes sense but i would like to fish in my pond earlier than 3 years and catch bass. You say that the fish are the least that i will spend on my pond. What else besides fish and fertilizer will i have to buy? In other words....what is the most expensive thing?

thank you esshup! that must be an old publication? i think the stocking rate has increased since then. I was told that i should stock 10-15 GC per acre. Does that sound like too many?

That GC stocking rate is 10-15 per acre too many unless you have underwater vegetation that the GC like to eat. First identify the problem, then treat it. It's like going to a dentist and saying "pull all my teeth because I know sooner or later they might have a cavity in them all".

GC like and dislike different plants. They will eat some, and not others.

muahh

Definitely put in the fathead minnows. Unless you are set on them, I wouldn't put in any catfish.

Dang BigWheel, that's a HOSS!