Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose My Stocking Plan....your advice is appreciated

Howdy,

I have a circular 1/2 +\- acre pond that is about 15 feet deep.

I want to stock for recreational fishing (mostly kids). Plan on feeding and aerating.

I was thinking:

100 CNBG
100 RES
150 CC
+ Fatheads

1. Does that ratio/numbers sound about right?

2. Any concerns with adding all three species to the pond at the same time?

3. Any recommendations on fisheries? I am in North Texas.

4. Any other species y'all would recommend?

Thanks,

Cam

Instead of CNBG, I'd look at 200 HBG. Without a predator in there, you will have a hard time controlling the numbers of CNBG unless you plan on harvesting a lot of them.

For kids, the HBG are more agressive biting (they can also eat a larger bait/hook) than CNBG/BG, and don't spawn as much.

I'd toss in a half dozen or so of HSB while I was at it.

I'd also plan on taking a lot of the CC out as soon as I caught them. I've found that they get hook shy once caught and released.

Hi Cam - big welcome!
Personally I would go with the CNBG, HSB and the catfish - IF - you take them out for table fare and replace numbers each year.... BUT - as Scott says, they can be a BIG problem if released to grow and get hook shy.

I am beginning to realize that many folks in our part of the country do not realize that CC do a pretty good job, along with a few HSB, of controlling over-population of BG.
My experience anyway FWIW.
Good luck,
George Glazener

So...is there any reason to stock the RES?

I do like the idea of eventually adding HSB as a predator.

I definitely do not want a pond full of hook shy CC. I had never really though about them learning.....I just thought "smarter fish survived to grow larger".

Cam

Yes, that is true. Smarter fish survive to grow larger. I have some CC in my pond that have been caught once or twice. The last time they were caught, I put a numbered tag in them to monitor their growth. I caught one in 2009 and one in 2010 and tagged both. Haven't been caught since. At the time of tagging, they were around 29" and 15#.....

The RES will eat snails, which are part of the life cycle of some fish parasites. I'd leave them in the stocking plan - they can get pretty big too, and will help the overall health of the pond long term.

Are there issues with stocking all the fish species at the same time?

Cam

All the species can be stocked at the same time, but do not expect the growth rates of all the species to be the best they can be. This type of stocking plan often results in average to below average sized fish. There can be lots of variability of growth when all are stocked at once. One of the big influences on overall growth rates is the number and species of fish stocked.

I am considering

RES
CNBG
CC
HSB

I was planning on adding HSB after the CNGB and RES have had some time to establish themselves.

I definitely want the best growth environment that I can provide. How would you recommend I stagger the stocking of the pond?

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Cam

Cam, if I had a two year old pond and not absolutely positive whether or not predators were present, I would stock adult forage fish first, get a spawn and then stock 8-10 inch HSB and CC. IF predators are present, fingerling CNBG, RES and FHM would be expensive fish food.

Your pond being N.E. of McKinney should have excellent alkalinity and hardness, being black clay soil over Cretaceous limestone - perfect water for HSB!

I am curious as to a spring in your area with chalky marl / limestone. Do you know what “hard bottom” pond composition?
Creek in my Plano backyard has year round seepage at contact between black clay soil and white limestone with possible spring. Springs can provide water during wet cycles and take it away with drought, but you mention near constant water level the past two years of record heat and drought.
I envy your water resource - do you know GPM of your spring?

Recommendation for stocking numbers should be based on confidence level as to predators or not, or tolerance of risk. Personally I like adult stockers for small ponds but budgets come into play.
I rely on professional biologist advice.
G/

George,

My prior experience with fish involved ...catching, cleaning, cooking and eating.

Our area was developed as a "acreage / lake" community several years ago that went bust, They built several ponds in the community but the only pond that has stable water levels is on my property. The community was purchased by new developer about two years ago, I had the opportunity to meet the original developer and he informed me that the pond was in part spring fed. There are 3 gullys that also feed the pond. I have no idea of the gpm of the spring.

During the summer I was able to take a look at bottoms of some of the other ponds. The bottoms are chalk and limestone as you mentioned (what I would call a hard bottom). Ha

So....if I go with larger forage fish for stocking....how long until that first spawn?

Cam

Cam, make sure your pond has no structure and if so remove - you don't want your CNBG to have a place to hide from HSB and CC in order to effectively control overpopulation.
Todd Overton of Overton Fisheries in Buffalo is the only supplier of pure adult CNBG and RES that I am aware - stock them now and they will begin to spawn.

I would contact Overton immediately and discuss your program and see when 8-10 HSB will be available.

Do you have a filamentous algae problem? If so now is the time to stock tilapia for control.

I will be happy to visit your pond and observe conditions if you wish - my comments are not to be taken as advise - I only share some 10+ years experience with mistakes made with following success with trophy CNBG and HSB.

Keep us informed as to how your plan unfolds - there is a lot of potential for CNBG/HSB programs for folks in our area.
TP&WL in now recommending HSB stocking in Texas farm ponds.
Good luck with you program,
George

ps: I continue to be concerned there may be a few LMB in your pond, but if so, your 1/2 acre two year old pond would be overcrowded with stunted LMB?

Would you recommend that I uses a product like Rotenone to remove any fish already in the pond.

I assume that a blank slate is preferred to the unknown.

Thoughts?

Cam

You probably will have better stocking survival and a better "finished product" if you were to Rotenone and start over.

I agree - I deleted earlier the same statement in above post but decided that it would be best for Todd Overton to make the call - still do.

Cam, a couple of thoughts.

A spring is actually an aquifer starting with ground water. As long as the water table is higher than the outlet, it will flow. However, in droughts, the water table drops and the spring flows backwards to replenish the lower parts of the aquifer. In the Spring time, trees start putting on leaves as the sap rises and calls for ground water. I have one very small pond that gets drained every summer as the water table drops and the head pressure changes or reverses. In my drought ridden area of North Texas, that little sucker has been mostly dry for 3+ years. So a spring in a pond can drain back into the surrounding area.

I'm not sure about smart/dumb fish. It appears that a lot are smarter than me, especially, 2 to 3+ year old cats. I do know that some fish are more aggressive than others and grow larger and quicker. Put 100 fingerling bass in a large tub. In a week, you will find that you no longer have 100. They've eaten each other. I've watched this several times when I've seen two 1.5 or so inch long bass next to each other. Then, one of them has the tail of the other sticking out of its mouth. The predatory one may or may not survive it's gluttony. The survivors are called jumpers or hog outs and will outgrow their siblings. According to one University study, Auburn I think, found that some fish seem to be genetically inclined to avoid hooks. Smart? Maybe and maybe not. But I do know that my larger cats will seldom bite or even eat much fish food when I use a red and white bobber. Florida bass are notorious for getting larger than natives but are much harder to catch. Smarter, bigger brains or genetically inclined? Heck, I don't know but genetics seem to be the answer.

Successful ponds are all about the environment we supply and food. Food is the absolutely essential balance between predators and prey. The environment is mostly about water quality and that has to be monitored.