Im a first time poster and am looking for a few answers on what else i can do to a pond i am managing for big bass. Here is a little history on the pond. It is around 50 years old and is approximately 2 acres. The depth in the pond is an issue right now as it is only 5 feet deep over a large majority of the area. The pond gets alot of run off as approximately 1,000 acres drains through small creeks which run directly into the pond. There is a 5 foot drain pipe that 90% of the year has alot of water flowing out of the pond and under the driveway. We already have plans to add a concrete wall in front of the pipe to raise the water level 2 to 3 feet.

In the summer of 2010 i began to catch and remove largemouths as they had become crowded and stunted. Most fish i caught were around a pound with only one fish caught that was 4 pounds. I released all bass that were over 14 inches. I removed around 200 small LMB and they had become very hard to catch by the end of the summer.

This spring i realized i would need to add adult Bluegill to the pond to beef up the forage base. In april i fished with worms and a bobber to get an idea of the bluegill population and i only caught two BG that were around 5 inches in an hour of fishing. Over the last several months i have moved about 100 adult BG and probably another 100 smaller bluegill that i had caught with a cast net at a couple of the other ponds on the property( im also managing those ponds but they are not as far along as this pond im discussing.) Now everytime i go down to water i see bluegill everywhere. I dont know how the population exploded so quickly but there are literally hundreds of bluegill everywhere i look.

Ive probably spent a total of 4 or 5 hours fishing the pond this year for bass and the fish are growing nicely. It is harder to get a bite and the fish i catch are ranging from 1 pound with the majority of the fish ive caught in the 2-3 pound range. Ive also caught 3 fish that were over 4 pounds.

My question is Whats Next? the goal i have for this particular pond is to grow as many Big Bass as possible. There are good populations of LMB and BG and very seldom i catch a small crappie. No catfish have ever been stocked in this pond.

I have considered stocking tilapia to stock up the forage base even further and there are also alot of aquatic plants growing in the pond that the tilapia could hopefully take care of. What is the cost to stock around 10 pound should i Have a fish truck bring the fish to the pond or try to transport the tilapia from a dealer in a large cooler with aerators?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as i am starting to draw a blank on what i need to put this pond over the top, and start growing some 5, 6, or 7 pound LMB.

Remove as many bass as you can possibly do if you want to grow bass that big. It becomes simply an overabundance of forage for a few bass and they will grow like crazy. Keep other predators such crappie catfish out as they will just reduce the forage for the bass.

Keep adjusting the forage fish size to the size of the majority of larger LMB in the pond. They like to eat fish that are 1/4 to 1/3 their body length. You won't be able to keep many large LMB in the pond. Do the math: to put one pound on one LMB it takes 10# of forage.

Once they start getting larger, they will get hook shy too if the pond sees much fishing pressure.

Yes the fish in this pond are definetely getting hook shy. Not having much luck with a chatterbait and rubber worms which i used to remove the smaller bass in 2010. New koppers frog seems to do the trick, i think partially because its very realistic and there are alot of frogs that live in the pond.

Is it to late in the year to stock tilapia?

I'd say it's too late for the best bang for your buck with Tilapia. The Blues will die at 45°F, but they'll get really sluggish at 50-55. They will still grow and pull off at least one spawn before then, but roughly 1/2 the growing season is over.

Next spring sounds like a better option for adding the tilapia then. For the rest of this season i think i will focus on adding some more 4-6 inch Bluegill.

What would be the best way to add some florida genetics into the pond? I know that pure floridas will likely die in the winter.

Nevermind on the florida genetics i just read up on outbreeding depression.

Have you thought, or do you have other forms of Forage, like Crayfish, and what is the minnow sittuation??

If you ad cray fish make sure they arent a speices that digs too much.

Alot of the bass that i harvested from the pond last year had crawdads in their stomach. I have plans to add some rock piles around the edges of the pond in an attempt to boost crawfish numbers. As far as minnows i have never stocked any.

Not sure what they would cost in your area, but here in Alabama I purchased 100# of tilapia for $800.00 delivered. According to my supplier they spawn every 19 - 25 days...

I know that they are constantly guarding fry and that I have seen the bass attacking the schools of smaller Tilapia in my pond.

Plus there are really good to eat. We are planning a huge Tilapia fish fry this fall when the temperture drops...

Pinetar- tilapia are definitely in the plans for next spring.
I need to pm Rainman and get a little better idea of what it will cost to stock them. For this 2 acre pond i think 10 or 15 pounds would be enough. But im not an expert.

If your pond is like mine, I think you may want to double that stocking estimate. I had 15# put in mine this year and I don't think it's near enough.

It is my opinion that the often quoted 10 pounds per acre is short by about 40 pounds.

The best stocking rate I have seen the best results with very consistantly is 40 pounds per acre north the northern state lines of Georgia/Alabama/Mississippi lines.

Well, my pond is right around 2 acres and they told me 100 pounds...

Wow i was way off. Dave your right about the often quoted 10 pounds per acre. I have seen that multiple times and that is what i was basing my original stocking plans on. There is also so much vegetation growing that it sounds like i would have been disappointed just adding 15 pounds. Thanks guys

Just a little update i went down to the pond yesterday and fished for about an hour. measured one fish that was 18- 1/8th inches long and exactly 3 pounds. I really have no idea how to calculate the RW% but if i am remembering the chart correctly i think it was underweight. Also i didnt see near as many bluegill swimming around as a month ago. Did see 3 BG that were guarding beds in the shallows. We added some gravel as a boat ramp a couple years ago and the bluegill had made dish shaped beds with gravel in the bottom. I Think i will add 2 or 3 more gravel areas.

Kansas, your right at 100% WR. 18" = 3.1#

I think Dave is right on the money about the Tilapia stocking rate for fertile ponds with limited underwater plant growth and LMB for algae control.

These Tilapia are a blast to catch as well... My 6 year old daughter caught a 4 pound + Tilapia couple a weeks ago on a Barbie type rod / reel..

Of course Dad dropped it into the water waiting for the camera to arrive... DAD = DOOFUS!!

Haha, i have my first kid due next month and cant wait to spend some time fishing with him when he gets older.

KBH... Congrats on the incoming Bambino... I have five children ranging from age 6 to 14. Every one of them love to fish!!