Just found the forum and have been reading to catch up.
Im in southwestern florida.
I have two established ponds.
One about 3/4 acre that id like to have as a forage/bait pond.
Another about 3 acres that id like to raise larger fish and maybe harvest some occasional CC and tilapia.
Ill provide more info in the appropriate areas as i read more.
Great place for info!!
Two ponds in Florida, you do sound like a Lucky Duck!
Welcome to Pond Boss.
Sounds like you'll be able to raise tilapia year round! I stock them in summer, but they can't survive east Texas winters. If you figure out how to catch them, you'd do us all a service by sharing the secret!
Welcome LD. I have a potential concern with a 3/4 acre forage only pond unless it can be almost thoroughly or almost totally managed through seining.
A pond and nature truism is that every predator needs prey but it is also true that every prey needs a predator to keep it from over spawning, fouling the water, and creating a fish kill. The same bass/bluegills relationship exists between coyotes and rabbits.
I tried it with a 1/4 acre one that I have prior to learning something about it. I was raising forage fish; bluegills and fathead minnows to stock in a larger pond that I was building. I waited too long to seine it, got an oxygen crash, and the resulting mess is still memorable 30+ years later.
I like forage ponds and have raised some whopper bluegills in them but I keep an eye on them.
I catch tilapia with a fly rod. They will take a small grub looking fly. I have hand fed the fish for years different chows and they are very large.
The pond id like to use as a forage pond is about 5 ft deep at full pool with several potholes to 6-7 feet deep. During spring the pond draws down pretty good to 2 feet or less. Presently whats in the pond that i know of are LMB, tilapia, brim, eels, catfish, turtles occasionally a gator. Surprisingly have not had a fish kill in late spring or early summer before the lake fills back up yet. I threw is some FHM and golden shiners this past week. I did fish the pond for the first time in a couple years a few days before the minnows arrived and to my surprise i caught and relocated a couple of fat 4lb LMB to the larger pond. Some smaller LMB were relocated as well. I wish i would have netted them early last year when the water was lower. Anyhow when i put the minnows in the pond there are obviously more LMB left.
What id like to mostly use the pond for is FHM, golden shiners and crawfish. I have concerns about the crawfish however. I was thinking of putting in Procambarus Clark crawfish but would like input if this species would stay put in the pond and would thrive in the current mix?
Replying to Daves above post
I have tried, on several occasions, to stock crawdads where fish existed. Didn’t work for me but I would go for it just to experiment. I don’t think they are fast enough to escape predation.
Occasional gator.
That dang thing is going to take some of your bigger fish but I envy you for having it. Ought to keep neighbor kids from skinny dipping.