Many thanks to members here who have provided valuable info regarding ponds and fish. I have just about finished with my project and would love to attempt a yp, res, smb,pond. Newly constructed bow is about 3/16 acre 12-13' deep and completely lined with stacked limestone. Lots of outcroppings, probably a fishermans nightmare, but if I were a fish it would be heaven. Was blessed with awesome clay as I dug. Pond is located about 16' above and 60' away from beautiful small spring branch (3-4 hundred K gal per day. I have taken advantage of Mo. riparian rights and plumbed in 2 intake lines (1 1/2" and 1 1/4" ) along with 2 siphon lines. Not much water water shed so pond is pretty clear right now with about 8-9 ' visibility. What temp do l need for the yp and where can l source them from ? My location is right outside of Joplin mo ( SW Missouri) . Any advice would be appreciated.

Not sure where you can get YP in your area, but adding FHM first might be good. Is there a place for submerged and/or emergent plants to grow? I have been very happy with my pond that has those species plus golden shiners, lake chubsuckers, and papershell crayfish. Very best of luck! Did find this by Googling "Missouri" "yellow perch" "stock". but you need to provide your own container and bubbler which seems pretty bush-league. http://stockalake.com/index.html This one popped up too: http://stockalake.com/index.html

For fish, get in touch with Rex Rains - he's outside of St. Louis. http://www.tilapiastockers.com/

I wouldn't be surprised if he called me for the YP. LOL

Congrats on the new pond Mike!

That sounds like fishing heaven to me.

I used to fish a (much bigger) pond like that as a kid in the Flint Hills of Kansas. There was a big limestone ledge around most of the lake.

When the fish were in shallow water, the best technique was to cast a beetle-spin against the ledge and let it softly bounce into the water just a few inches off the ledge. If the bass didn't hit it on the drop, then they would hit it the first time you jigged the lure up to keep it off the bottom. Some of my best memories!

I think you could maintain a YP pond of that size with no predators. If you feed trained the YP and installed a feeder, they would quickly gain weight. Then you and your family would have to be the "predator" to keep the pond from going over carrying capacity.

I don't think YP would be able to pull off a spawn in that type of pond with only a rocky shore. You might have to throw in some cedar trees on a rope each spring and then pull them back out after the spawn. Or you could just do supplemental stockings every other year.

Good thing for you, there are lots of YP experts (not me) on the forum!


One important question: Are there any fish in the pools of the spring that you would be using as the water source? I posted a question a few years back about using our live creek to source water to my ponds. Many people responded that some fish fry will survive a trip through a water pump!

If you only have gambusia, or creek minnows that would not reproduce in your pond, then you are fine. If the spring pools have green sunfish, or other undesirables, then they would probably out-compete your YP in the pond. In that case, you would need to devise some proper water screening methods.

Good luck on your new pond project!

Thanks for your response. I missed the fish truck on Sat. But plan on picking up 5 lb of fhm and 100 res on Wed. Folks in Perry Mo. have yp (probably 8 or more hours away). Gentleman north of KC said yp couldn't, be transported until fall and I'd need 20' deep pond for them to survive. Plants are next along with small aeration system. Would 2 55 gal barrels with lids work for an 8 -9 hr. drive ? Really want to share pictures of pond but read that downloading is difficult. I am technically disabled.

I believe there are several people near your same latitude that have thriving YP populations in ponds less than 20' deep. The forum has a member that actually raises YP in Goodland, Kansas. The AVERAGE annual temperature at his location is certainly lower than Joplin. However, his hottest air temperatures during summer probably average higher than Joplin for most years.

Yes, transporting and stocking fish during periods of high air and water temperatures is a bad idea. However, it is only the middle of May! I think (not an expert) that you could still safely transport YP at this date - with the proper transport equipment.

How many YP are you trying to get? I believe (definitely not an expert on this topic) that the safest way for amateurs to transfer smaller numbers of fish is to use oxygenated transport bags. You can DIY create a system that is closer to what the pros use, but that will probably be too expensive for small, infrequent loads of fish. (Hopefully, one of our actual fish transport experts will chime in if you post the number, size, and date for your YP transport project.)

Yes, fish providers love to transport a large load of fish, a short distance, at a time arranged far in advance. One thing I have learned on the forum, is that the real world is ALWAYS messier.

If you do find a reachable supplier, you might try and call them and arrange a compromise order. If they are ever driving a significant distance towards your property, AND have extra room for YP (or a YP order on board), then you might ask if you could meet them at their delivery point and pick up your fish there. After all, hearing the word "No" is the worst thing that could happen. If the supplier can manage a profit on the additional work required to supply your fish, then he might agree to some type of alternative arrangement?

Thank you,to everyone! Esshup suggested I contact Rex out the St Louis area. Rex spoke with me for over an hour. Super nice guy with lots of knowledge. I feel blessed.

No surprise that Rex spent that much time with you. He’s a good guy.

BTW, If/when you talk to him again, tell him that you heard that he learned everything he knows from me.