Taken from:
LMB Only reference Dr. Patrick Rusz, Director of Wildlife Programs
The best warmwater fish species for most Michigan ponds is the largemouth bass. They grow well and reproduce readily in ponds that have some sand over shallow water. Largemouth bass do well even if they are the only fish species in the pond. A widespread myth is that pond owners must stock one or more prey species for the bass. The ones most often pushed are bluegill, sunfish and various minnows. In truth, the bass-bluegill combination is often a disaster after the first four or five years. The bluegills actually prey more effectively on the bass, gobbling up their eggs and fry, and effectively shutting-down bass reproduction. Bass are generally unable to eat enough of the right sizes of bluegills to keep down the bluegill population, so the result is a stunted population of bluegills and a gradually aging population of bass. Worst still, the overabundant small fish eat-up the pond’s supply of tiny water fleas (zooplankton). Without a good population of algae-eating zooplankton, the algae community grows unchecked, giving the water undesirable green blooms.
Fishing out the bluegills by hook-and-line is impractical, and even intensive seining and removal of the stunted sunfish seldom corrects the problem. Fathead minnows are a better choice for stocking as a prey species for bass, but they usually must be restocked periodically. Bass eat such a variety of prey, including small bass, crayfish, tadpoles, frogs, and insects, that providing a fish prey species is often not necessary. Bass can be stocked in combination with trout in deep ponds without such serious problems.
Channel catfish will survive in Michigan ponds, but usually will not reproduce well. Growth rates are slow in Northern Michigan. They are very vulnerable to predation by bass and so only larger sizes can be stocked where there is an existing bass population. Many pond owners keep a few large catfish in their ponds as a sort of novelty, while their main focus is on bass management.
Fish distributors often recommend hybrid sunfish, usually bluegills crossed with pumpkinseed or redear sunfish, for Michigan ponds. But claims that they will grow faster without the stunting problems that beset bluegill populations are not reliable because the commercial stocks are often contaminated with fertile sunfish. The more familiar kinds of panfish common in our state – including yellow perch, crappies, green sunfish and rock bass – hurt bass reproduction and stunt just a badly as do bluegills.
Walleyes will survive in many ponds, but won’t reproduce, and grow slowly. Like catfish and northern pike, a few may have some value as “novelties” in a pond, but the walleye is a poor choice as the primary species.
Contamination of ponds after initial stocking is a major problem throughout Michigan. Within 10 years of construction, most ponds have at least a half dozen fish species the landowner never stocked. This has often been blamed on entry of fertilized fish eggs which clung to the feet of ducks and other birds. However, in each case where such contamination has been thoroughly investigated, it was found that neighborhood children or well-meaning adults had added the new fish species. People apparently find it hard to resist dropping a few fish in another’s pond, regardless if they have permission of the landowner. Ponds located near cities and suburbs get periodic, unsolicited “plantings” of many varieties of goldfish and other unwanted species from aquariums. Maintaining a good population of large bass that will eat the newcomers is the best means of reducing related problems.
With the right combination of depths and bottom types, Michigan ponds can support a modes amount of fish harvest and/or some excellent catch-and-release fishing. Feeding the fish commercial pellets in not recommended in most ponds because it adds nutrients to the water and spurs excessive plant growth. Without such supplemental feeding most Michigan ponds can support 50-100 catchable-sized bass or trout per surface acre. Adding crayfish, frogs, mayflies and water fleas (microcrustaceans such as Daphnia), is not necessary. These will find their ways into the pond if there is suitable habitat. Adding structure such as rocks and brush provides cover for fish, and cover and attachment sites for their food organisms. It may also boost spawning success of bass as well as catfish. However, many ponds with “clean” structure-free bottoms support good sport fishing.
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