Hey all,

I have a 2 year old 1-7/8 acre pond stocked with:

1/2012
300 RE
1,000 CNBG
500 NBG

6/2012
18 HSB
25 CC
75 Florida LMB
25 Camolot LMB

12/2013
75 CNBG
50 CC
22 Rainbow Trout (16-20 oz each)

I am supplementing feeding Aquamax 400/500/600 and have 3-9" diffuser stations pumping nonstop.

The pond was covered in duckweed when I first began the project but once cleared up, the perfectly clear water produced an alge bloom and has maintained one ever since, all year long.

Being in central Louisiana, I am attempting to have diversity during the winter months by adding the trout to our body if water.

My question is, since the trout are considered a predator and their diet consist of anything available, what affect would this have on the existing population of fish?

I spoke with the hatchery and he explained under optimum conditions, we can expect a maximum growth up to 5 lbs by the time the water temperature rises to a stressful level.

Would the trout eat the pellets as part of their diet or just the existing fish population?

Does anyone have any history of this being done around this area? I know the local LDWF started adding trout in Baton Rouge but most if not all of the trout were removed in a short period of time from their bodies of water according to the news reports.

Would there be anything I may want to pay special attention to, other than the normal documentation of weight/length/health of fish being caught and harvested?

Coupe

If you are regularly feeding pellets in the winter months and the trout are feeding on them, there will be little affect to your fishery. It would be my guess that the trout are getting 90%+ of their food from the pellets alone.

There may be some competition with other fish species for larger zooplankton and invertebrates as well as smaller fish(YOY BG) but they trout will mostly be eating pellets.

Thanks CJ.

I have seen the trout hitting on the surface from time to time but uncertain at the feeder. With the CC and HSB hitting and splashing, its hard to tell.

The ice from the top of the pond has melted so I will see what is taking place this evening.

Coupe

From my limited experience:

I concur with CJ that if you feed pellets, they will prefer those over anything else. I have suspicion that they will crowd out other types of fish while feeding on pellets. I do not have HSB, so not sure on that type.

I did not feed mine from the stocking in Oct till April, and I believe they did have an impact on the small fish. Keep in mind, that's what I wanted. Now, if the pond freezes over and you don't feed, how long before they switch over to fish and how long the freeze over is, will all change outcomes I'm sure.

I would guess that my stockers were 1/2#, and by spring the majority were 2.5#. How much live feed and it's availability affected their weight gain is unknown.

I've had trout under the ice all winter without feeding them and they came out of winter appearing not even to have lost weight. There are no forage fish in the pond and the pond is too small to have enough invertebrates to support that many trout.

Thanks all for chiming in.

I will keep track of the weight / length as I catch the trout and try to observe the activity at feeding times and report back.

The pond only had a thin layer of ice on the top for 2 days, other than where the 3 difussers were rolling the water, but is gone now. Our temperature should be getting to arond 60's to low 70's this week.

Yesterday evening I went to observe the activity at feeding time and found the feeder was empty so only a couple of swirls in the water were observed when the feeder went off.

My 8 year old and I made a few cast with yellow kernal corn trying to get some attention but not even a nibble.

I have 8 - 1.5 year old CC that shouold be around 4-5 lbs, which spices will be more agressive, the CC - Rainbow Trout - HSB?

The HSB are also 1.5 years old and the last one we caught was 7 months ago weighing 1-1/4 lbs.

Coupe

It's my experience HSB and trout are explosive on pellets. Neither will crowd the other away from pellets. CC are just like vacuum cleaners once they get used to feeding on pellets. They swimming around at the surface just sucking them down. I don't see CC or HSB crowding each other out and I don't think trout will either. If you have absolutely giant CC, they may cause issues but I would say CC 10+ pounds, under that you should be OK.

My fishing experience in my pond has been that the RBT seem to force the CC to remain at the bottom to feed. Now CC are normal bottom feeders, but once the RBT are gone the CC start roaming around like CJ mentions and become vacuum cleaners wherever they are. Once the trout are gone, I will then catch the CC at all levels, but fishing with the RBT present at the feeder area, I have to let the feed sink to get the CC.

Don't forget when trout are most active, CC will be pretty lethargic due to water temps. I have LMB and RBT hitting pellets at the same time, and YP also come up and grab pellets.

Thanks once again for all the advise, I greatly appreciate it.

Since the pond had a thin cover of ice for a couple of days and the feeder was empty, there isn't much action at the feeder now, actually, no action.

I may reduce times from 5 second to 2 seconds and reduce down to maybe 2 feedings a day. Any thoughts?

Temperatues should get back up to the high 60's today so I guess time will tell as some of the surface water warms.

Where I have the feeder throwing feed, it is about 18" deep and quickly drops off to 12' at full pool and about 9-10' where the water level is now.

I will definetely start fishing off the bottom around the feeder for the large catfish and see what happens. Like I said, should have just a few large CC along with the other 50 6-8" I put in December.

I can't imaging seeing my 7 year old and 8 year old latch into one of the large CC....I'll bring my camera just in case.

Coupe

Cecil? He would be one of the best to advise you on this.

I believe he has said not to feed the trout to much during the winter, something like every other day. Perhaps your temps are warmer than Indiana.

Mentally be prepared on what you are going to do with the CC once you catch one. Most will say to NOT release them back. Hard to do if you happen to catch a little one.

Thanks fish n chips.

SO I will reduce to every other day possibly.

Yes the catfish, I have alway removed what I caught no matter the size except in December I caught 2 6-8" CC the day after I stocked them and returned them back to the water.

The CC never hit again so I wil see how it goes once it warms up.

Coupe