Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Just purchased land with pond.

That's tough to say. All kinds of fish eat the fry of other species. Add cover to the pond for YOY fish would help recruitment.

Thanks for the reply Sunil

I caught one 4–5-pound bass last march before I added anything. I have added 15 bass between 2 and 5 pounds. Had a friend say he caught a 7plus out of there, but he is probably big eyeing a 5 pounder.
I also added 100 2–3-inch bass in October.

I added 100 foot of rock shoreline a couple months back and that seems like where all the bait fish hang out. I have also added a little brush to a couple areas.

I hand feed them Aquamax every night.

The pond did have channel cat, bullhead, green sunfish and at least one nice bass in it when I purchased it

Thanks for the help, everyone.

You've mentioned your stocking numbers earlier, and on the adult bass, it seems like you've added approx. 10 more than previously mentioned. So maybe you've stocked a total of 115 or so LMB, adult and juvenile in 1.2 acres, plus whatever was existing.

What's hitting the feed?

Maybe just amp up more brush piles and add CNBG or native bluegill.

Sunil, I’m not smart enough to remember more than one thing. And, that one thing is where my wife last hid my range finder.

Ok, time to revisit after a year has gone by.
April of 2022, I added 150 2.5" to 3" Copper nose blue gill and 150 2.5"-3" Redear sunfish.
April of 2022, I added 5 bass from a local lake. 4#,3#, 3#, #2 and #2.
October of 2022, I added 100 2"-3" native bass and 100 2"-3" Hybrid specklebelly.
April of 2023, I added 10 bass from a local lake. Two in the 5# range, two in the 3# range and the rest 2-3#s

It was in there. I have added 15 bass over 15" since last April and the 100 fingerlings in October.

Can I add to many?

Yes, you could add too many, so maybe add 200-300 more bluegill or coppernose bluegill. You'd want them to not be fingerlings.

I believe you should have waited on the bass. They could easily go through those bluegills in a hurry.

As Sunil also says, get some more prey fish for those bass.

Other than Pond King do you have a local source for bluegill?

No local source. And I sometimes use Pond King. I recently called a fish hauler that I know and ordered some fathead minnows. When he hits my area, he will call me.

Chris:

What are the fishery goals for the pond?

I'm not really looking to make it a trophy fishery or anything. Just a pond where I can go and kill an hour and catch a few fish. Of course, if they are 5 pounders it's a bonus.