Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Your Favorite Fish (and all the others)

What's your favorite species of fish in your pond(s)? What other species of fish do you have?

Recent discussions on some relatively uncommon (here at PB) species of fish have given me the urge to pole forum members and compile a list of what species of fish we have, used to have, or want to have in our ponds, and which fish is our favorite. So list your fish for me, if you care to, putting your favorite species in the #1 position. If you used to have a pond, but are currently without, provide me with info from the past. If you haven't got your pond built or stocked yet, answer from your best current plans. (Once a Pondmeister, always a Pondmeister - even if that once hasn't happened yet!)

I'll collect data for a week, then count it all up and run a thorough ( :rolleyes: ) statistical analysis, providing all the detail I feel like. I notice that this exercise may also give us some practice with or at least discussion about standardized acronyms.

Here's my answer:

1. BLUEGILL! (BG)
2. RES
3. LMB
4. HBG
5. CC
6. GShiner
7. Grass Carp (GC)
8. Fathead Minnow (FHMinnow)
9. HSB (one)
10. Mosquito Fish/Gambusia

1. LMB
2. CC
3. BG
4. Green sunfish

1. LMB
2. SMB ??? not sure if any have survived the LMB
3. BG
4. CC
5. GC

The following are ALL species stocked in our ponds, in order of preference:

1. HSB
2 LMB :rolleyes:
3. BG
4. RES
5. Tilapia
6. Grass Carp
7. CC

Theo,
In order of preference.

1. HSB
2. Rainbow Trout (RT)
3. YP :p
4. LMB
5. BG
6. Brown Trout (BT)
7. GC (grass carp)
8. Fathead Minnows (FM)

This should be interesting!

Ed

Theo :

In ponds :

1. LMB
2. RES
3. BG/CNBG
4. CC
5. W. Crappie
6. various minnows


Oxbow lakes:

1. LMB
2. Crappie- both
3. BG
4. HSB
5. other lepomis
6. white bass
7. spoon bill/paddlefish
6. catfish -CC- Fl.H- Blue- mud- bullheads
7. Shad - both
8. Chain Pickerel
9. Carp/Buffalo - several
10. gar longnose gator spotted
11. bowfin
12. various other fish and minnows

1) SMB
2) LMB
3) HSB
4) Yellow Perch
5) Black Crappie
6) Rock Bass
7) Bluegill
8) Channel Cats
9) Grass Carp
10) Brown Bullheads
11) Golden Shiners
12) Fathead Minnows
13) Suckers
14) Creek Chubs

All are existing in my pond. Two years ago, I put in (5) Rainbow Trout, (5) Brown Trout, and (5) Brook Trout. I don't have them listed because other than a week after stocking, I never saw them again.

I will be adding a few larger walleye in the next few weeks.

1. BG
2. HSB
3. RES
4. YP
5. SMB (used to have)
6. BG X RES (want to have)
7. LMB (have one)
8. GC (have, but don't fish for)

1.SMB 2.LMB 3.WALLEYE 4.YP 5.HSB 6.HBG(bummer) 7.BG 8.RES 9.CC 10.GS 11.FH

1. LMB
2. BG
3. Bullhead

I like the minnows too.

Pretty original Huh?

1. LMB
2. Y Perch
3. Chain Pickerel (only shot @ Cecils webpage)
4. Bluegill
5. Ch Cats
6. Other asst sunnies
7. GShiners
8. Fatheads

1. Rainbow Trout
2. Channel Catfish
3. Brown Trout (only have about 10 and have yet to catch one)
4. Fathead Minnows!!!!
5. Waterdogs (local species)
6. Crayfish


Forage Tank:
1. Fathead Minnows!!!!
2. Waterdogs
3. Crayfish

- Jighead

Present:
1.Y Perch
2 Bgill, males
3.Saugeye
4.Bluntnose minnow
5.Spotfin Shiner
All serve a good purpose

Past: Stocked and observed pond behavior. Not in order of favorite. Goals will determine your favorite. Consider that your favorite fish might really be a forage fish because it produces the goal - a predator.

1.Bgill
2.Pumpkinseed
3.RES
4.GS
5.HBG
6.Black Crappie
7.Rock Bass
8.LMB
9.SMB
10.HSB
11.N.Pike
12.Walleye
13.Rainbow trout
14.Yellow Bullhead
15.C catfish
16Johnny Darter
17.Creek Chubs
18.Golden Shiner
19.Common Shiner
20.Emerald Shiner
21.Redfin Shiner
22.Steelcolor Shiner
23.Fatheads
24.Mud Minnow
25.Brook Silversides
26.Mosquitofish
27.Blackstripe Topminnow
28.Grass Carp
29.Carp
30.Quillback
31.Common Sucker

1. Fried shrimp
2. Boiled shrimp
3. Blackened shrimp
4. shrimp scampi
5. Sauteed shrimp
6. shrimp on a stick
7. shrimp boulette
8. calamari, scallops, and a few crab legs for good measure.

Were we suppose to stick with freshwater only? Sorry! I dissect too many of those to actually eat them.

Ok I will leave out my Bubba Gump opinion above and go with:

1. GG (taste like butter)
2. HSB (fight hard)
3. Gambusia (females give live birth every 28 plus days, and I gotta respect that)
4. Grass Carp (they are just a lot of fun to watch)
5. Channel cats (In small numbers they can add a balance to the pond)

Past:

BrkT
BrnT
RbT
Bg
FHM
LMB

Future:

SmB (Smallmouth Bass)
YP (Yellow Perch)
Wal (Walleye)
BrkT (Brook Trout)
CtT (Cutthroat Trout)
WVGT (West Va. Golden Trout [Red Eyed])
BrnT (Brown Trout)
FhM (Fathead Minnow)
GmbM (Mosquitofish)
GrsS (Grass Shrimp)

Wish List: (Top 5)

Ca. Golden Trout
Musky
Pike
Alagator Gar
Numerous local minnows

3/4 acre pond. 60 gallon per minute flow. completed Dec 2004. Depth is 6" to 9' with average depth approximately 5 feet.

1. Coppernoise BG 1-2" stocked March 2005
2. Redear 1-2" March 2005
3. Channel Cat 2-3" March 2005
4. Fathead Minnows 1" March 2005
5. Channel Cat 4-5" June 2005
6. Georgia Giants 3-4" January 2006
7. Grass Carp 4-5" January 2006
8. F1 LMB 5-6" Febuary 2006

Supplimental feeding. Favorite eating fish is catfish then BG/Redear. Love to catch LMB.

Looks like Bill Cody or ewest are gonna set the width of the spreadsheet I use to total all this.

Theo, would it be possible to analyze fish species by region on a separate display?

When I look through the list of preferred species it is somewhat confusing to mix northern with southern species.

Very interesting project.

George:

I think I can separate based on members' stated locations, but I also want to do a consolidated PB "What are we interested in?" look. Right now I'm taking a break from data entry, contemplating exactly how to best handle Cody's 400 different species.

I may use three regions: Northern, Southern, and Malinta, Ohio.

1) Yellow Perch ( Good Eating and fun for Kids )
2) Small Mouth Bass ( love for play and watching )
3) Fat Head Minnows ( love watching them )
4) Crayfish ( Need for above )
5) Rainbow Trout ( Showed up from creek )
6) Walleye ( love them but showed up )
7) Golden Shiners ( A few showed up )
8) Threadfin shad ( A few showed up )

Now interesting considering I only put in Fatheads and YP and SMB. Mother nature and creeks and birds do wonders to diversify life in the pond.

These are the species in our lake from my most favorite to least useful.

1) SMB
2) HSB
3) HBG
4) BG
5) rock bass
6) LMB
7) black crappie
8) white crappie
9) walleye
10) CC
11) white bass
12) goldeye
13) white sucker
14) freshwater drum
15) pumpkinseed
16) sauger
17) shorthead redhorse
18) green sunfish
19) yellow perch
20) sterile grass carp

To this list, I hope to add paddlefish and grass pickeral this summer.

Of small species, I think that only tadpole madtoms have probably survived but there might be some sticklebacks left.

Anybody else want to chime in?

1. Largemouth Bass
2. Crappies
3. Channel Catfish
4. Bluegill
5. Yellow Perch

Species that are in rundown pond.

Ictalurus melas(Ameiurus melas)


Also, possibly
Lepomis macrochirus

And I have seen Canis familiaris swimming in there, also.

Translation:

1. Bullies
2. Bloogies
3. Puppies