Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations when to stock?

My pond will be built hopefully within a month.I was wanting to stock fhm as soon as theres water in the pond/with acceptable cover/for spawn.. question is will my minnows reproduce before the wintee months? And if so can i go ahead with a full stocking plan for fall?? What yal think? ......and is anyone familiar with Jones fish hatchery in Cincinnati ohio? Looks like they have good stock packages for different size ponds..

PF congrats on the pond. Look under are area here for stocking lots of good info there. You can stock FHM as soon as its a mud puddle we need to know a bit more about pond and your goals though.

How big is the pond?

What are you wanting to stock?

Are you going to feed?

If your wanting to do the normal FHM, Bluegill, RES and LMB stock it's tuff with your timing.

If your pond will be done by end of July lets say you don't have long till the cold sets in. Lets see what others have to say after you tell us a little more about what you want to do.

I might stock my BG and my RES this fall and wait till mid summer or the following fall to stock my LMB. I know it's hard to wait... Let us know what your plans are first. Then the experts can better tell your what you need to do.

RC

Hey thanks for reply! Pond will be 3/4 acre an shaped like a heart with two coves an max depth 10', i will incorporate pellet feedding , and will do a combo stocking of fhm, gs, lmb, hsb, bg, hbg, res, cc, an grass carp. All fish will be 2-5 in xcept carp . Will also put in bull frogs juvenile an adult

i think you will find that most folks including myself will discourage the carp. however there are a couple of pond management companies in my area that are putting them in ponds without a single blade of grass. there must be good money in carp stocking!

Whats bad about the carp? I dont know thats why i ask... ive heard they help out alot but once they get huge they arent very useful? What about common carp?

the grass carp are going to hang around your feeder and wait for pellets. if you have problems with vegetation it should be easy to control with chemicals in a 3/4 acre pond. if you stock everything you mentioned in the above post, then you are going to be loaded enough without carp.

I guess your right thanks for the input!that brings me to another important question what is a good chemical/+ dye to put in new pond and when is the best time to apply it first Is it practical to use them before the problems arise?

Jones is a great fishery. But they are there to sell fish. Their stocking packages go beyond what's necessary but do make an easy 1-stop shop. RC51 was asking what YOU want out of your pond. What are your goals. Do you just want a place for the kids to snag bluegill? Do you only want trophy LMB? Folks here generally recommend different stocking plans, based on what you want to get out of your pond. It will be simpler than the whole array of stuff Jones has in their packages.