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Joined: Jul 2006
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maki Offline OP
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Here is my 1/3 acre pond located in western NY.


The pond is 7.5 deep today and is being fed by 5 springs that we hit and rain water. It is 6 weeks old with a shale/silt bottom. I have a 10 foot X three foot high shale shelf on one end, I have a 5 foot high pvc tree and some 4" culvert for small fish habitat, I build a 100 rock (6-10") 3 foot high pile and I left 3 4-5 foot rocks in the bottom. I left a 12 foot flat section off the point in the middle that will only be 2 foot deep when the pond is full, it drops off on the sides and sticks out around 12 foot and I have covered it with rocks from 2-4".

Now for the fish plan, I have started my perch inside and have 100 2" fish and am starting them on 80% protien pellets and will switch them to 40% during the winter, I hope to release them late spring. I am going to put fatheads in this fall (5-10lbs). I am going to use SMB or walleye for the preditor fish what do you think and how many? I will not introduce them them into the pond until spring 08. I would also like to add RES What do you think?My goal for the pond is to have a sustained YP population to eat and to have a fun balanced pond to fish. A secondary goal is to have a multiseason place to try out and video the "match the hatch bait" that I make.
Please give me honest feed back on my plan most of my plan can be adjusted (even though I am German).
Thanks
Scott Brauer

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You have asked for a critique about stocking plans, but first I think we should ask about the shale shelf. If that shelf isn't manmade, I would wonder if it will allow an escape route for your water. You may have seepage issues.
Next, I would make sure you have plenty of hiding places for fathead minnows, since they will be your primary forage fish. They work well in western NY and are a good choice. But, you need to protect them, too, or you will be buying fatheads every two or three years.
Redear Sunfish might be a good choice, but they are illegal in NY. Double-check with the DEC. Each regional office is autonomous and you might be able to get someone to give you a permit. Get it in writing, though.
Stay the course with yellow perch. It's a good choice for a sportfish and forage fish. Smallmouth bass and walleye are different, though. Since your pond is small, I would try to find feed trained smallmouth. They're out there, you just have to look. If you can find them, stock as many as 30. Be sure you have plenty of rocky outcroppings and gravel areas for smallmouth. If you can't find feed trained beasts, stock no more than fifteen, to keep plenty of room and food for walleye. Walleye are easier to find, but harder to raise and maintain in small waters. They aren't feed trained. Stock up to 15 walleye with your smallmouth, but be sure you have some mid-depth habitat for them. Aeration is probably a good idea from April to ice up. Smallmouth may reproduce, but the walleye most likely won't.


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maki Offline OP
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Bob, Thank you for your response!
The shelf is in the close end of the pond and was left there when the contractor was digging. It is bedrock more than shale and there seems to be plenty of water coming in and none leaving the pond at this point. I measure the rise every few days and it has not lost any water and is gaining about 1/2-3 inches per day depending on the weather. Time will tell whether the trend will reverse itself. RES are in the Fingerlakes and I did not know that they were illegal to stock in NYS. I can and will get fed SMB, we raise them each year at the school where I teach in the Conservation Science class. They are the ones raising my perch.I am willing to stock more fatheads every few years, and I will add more habitat if need to help them survive. I was going to go with bass or walleye but can I mix them, and will they both thrive? Should I add any water plants or let that happen on its own? What am I not thinking of?
Thanks Again!
Scott

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maki Offline OP
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Well it was the right year to dig a pond in WNY it is as of today less that 2 ft from full. this pic is a week old and there is a foot or more new water in there today.


These are my perch they are going to spend the winter inside growing for a spring release. I paid $1.05 each, did I get shafted?


the plan for now is...
2 lbs fatheads now
100 perch in the spring
15 smb and 10 walleye in "08"
what do you think?

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The YP look good. LMB are that much for 2-3in fish. I am not sure that you will have enough forage long term for 3 predators with just FH. FH are good forage for all 3 (YP, SMB and Eyes) and the SMB and Eyes will eat small YP . I am just not sure that will be enough over time as the predators spawn. Easy to fix though just add some more but be sure to monitor them and don't wait to late to add more.

If the Eyes and SMB do not spawn in the pond then you could have a problem with to many YP when they spawn. You will have to keep a close watch on population balance. I would get those FH in quick so they can adapt prior to winter.
















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 Quote:
Originally posted by maki:
I paid $1.05 each, did I get shafted?
I only paid .30/each for YP that size, but I went and got them. If they were delivered, with the price of gas these days, that's probably a fair deal, since the fish supplier would probably go broke delivering fish if he didn't get at least 100 bucks per stop.


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Thanks for the replies guys. I will add fhs as needed and seeing as the pond is in the back yard it should be easy enough to adjust the feeders. the funny [art of the fish price was is that the SMB were only $1.10 that is why I wondered about the price.
Thanks again
Scott


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