Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Grow out Pond

While sitting at home waiting for the well to be finished so I can finally start filling the ponds, I decided to re-read through some old Pond Boss magazines. I re-read Mark's article on canabilism and walleyes in his ponds in NY. I have a small forage pond built, about .1 of an acre which will be used to raise fathead minnows. Because I have nothing but time right now I was thinking....

My main pond will host YP, SMB, WE. I realize that the WE will not reproduce and will need to be re-stocked every two or three years depending upon harvest. Furthermore, smaller walleye are cheaper and easier to obtain at times in the spring than in the fall than larger walleyes and once the pond is established, I would not be able to stock smaller walleye. So, my thought is in spring when I re-stock the forage pond with fatheads, could I over stock the fatheads just a bit and put in 10-15 small walleye? The walleyes could fatten up on the fatheads through the summer (I will remove fathead periodically as their numbers expand) and come fall as I pull out the last of the fatheads, hopefully I would have 10-15 larger walleyes.
1. How does this sound?
2. Would 10-15 small walleye decimate the fatheads and thus make fathead numbers to small to reproduce sufficiently?


My thought is that I would do this every other year. Of course my thoughts do not stop there. I was thinking that I could do the same thing with SMB. Stock 10-15 with the fatheads and grow them out during the summer for a fall stocking. So every year I would alternate between SMB and WE.

This is more for fun and experimentation. Someday I hope to add a RAS to the house for winter grow outs but that is way down on the list.

Now I turn it back to the experts for your opinions.

Just celebrated 1 year as a subscriber to Pond Boss. I took it as an honor to receive my renewal notice. Signed up for 2 years.

It'll be interesting to see what the experts have to say, but I'm thinking that with WE and SMB you might not have very many FHM left over.

10# of bait = 1# of growth on a fish.

Thanks. That is why I am asking. Keeping in mind that each year would be either WE or SMB but not both, the question may be how many WE or SMB could I put in the grow out pond and still have FHM reproduce. If the number is so low say 2-5 then it would not be worth it.

On the other hand, it still may be so much fun to have the WE or SMB in the grow out pond as an experiment (tag them before releasing to main pond) to see how they do compared to ones directly stocked into main pond.

In a .1 acre pond, I would think just 3-5 WE or SMB would virtually wipe out a huge amount of FH. For example, in my aquarium, I have (1) 8" SMB, (1) 8" BG, and (4) 3-5" Hybrid Crappie. (60) 2-3" feeder Goldfish last less than 1 hour in the tank with heavy cover to hide in. All these fish are also pellet trained and fed heavily daily.

Some removable cover and a faster swimming fish like Golden Shiners might produce a longer lasting forage base, but would still not support many voracious predators.

That is just amazing! Must be so cool to watch them fed on the goldfish. It sounds like this idea may not work.

Watch away... Feeding Frenzy

That is pretty cool!!! Looks like me at an all you can eat buffet. What size tank? Do you mind if I show that to other people?

Rainman,

Do you know much about the hybrid crappie you have. I was thinking about trying to get some and thought I would ask you about them since you have some and I believe you delivery some every now and then.

Do you happen to have any in one of your ponds or stocked ponds with them, since there is much to learn about them?

Thanks

Show it all you like. Heck, it's on you tube. lol

Kurt, sorry for the brief thread hyjack.



Hybrid Crappie;

Hybrid crappie are the first generation cross between a black crappie and a white crappie. The resulting hybrid displays limited reproduction and increased growth.

Early research indicates that hybrid crappie populations are 50% male and 50% female and are capable of producing large numbers of offspring. However, the offspring of hybrid crappie are inferior in terms of growth and are readily controlled (eaten) by bass and bluegill. Therefore, when stocking hybrid crappie in ponds with bass and bluegill very few baby crappie will survive, preventing overpopulation. In a ten year study conducted in Illinois, ponds stocked with hybrid crappie, bass and bluegill, the hybrid crappie were unable to maintain their population (take over the pond).



The same research indicates and F1 Hybrid Crappie grow faster and weigh more than both black crappie and white crappie.

The Hybrid Crappie is new to pond stocking and there is still a great deal to learn about them. Stock 300 Hybrid Crappie per acre and be sure to stock bass and bluegill with them to control reproduction. Due to their limited reproduction Hybrid Crappie will need to be restocked periodically.

The Hybrid Crappie produced by J.M. Malone and Son, Inc. is the original cross between an Arkansas Black Nosed Black Crappie* male and a white crappie female resulting in a hybrid crappie with a black stripe running down its nose. This black stripe is not an indication that a crappie is a hybrid crappie. Therefore, be advised when purchasing hybrid crappie, just because it has a black stripe on its nose does not make it a hybrid crappie.

Kurt,

I apologize as well, I was not intending to hijack your thread, but just had a question for Rainman since he posted he had some hybrid crappie.

Let us know what you decide to do with your grow out pond it sound interesting to me and may even throw another idea out for me.

Thanks

no problem. If I had a larger pond, I would love crappies or hybrid. Any info about fish and mangement is good for me.

Look at all the sparkley snowflakes!!