Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose SMB/YP/RES in one acre dug pond

Since I still have 15" of ice and it's looking like it's going to be the end of March before I have open water to allow me to stock my perch, does that change anything?

Based on Bill's recommendation a couple pages back, I was prepared to go with the following this spring;

150 4-6" YP
30 6-8" YP

When is the latest I should try to stock the above mix?

Huntmaster, I assume your goal is for a YP spawn this spring... If so I think it's all about water temps. If YP are in temps 50 degrees or higher they will spawn. So at least in my mind the spawn will be a bit later this year as winter has been more severe than normal. I think the real key is to make sure that you get fish that have been kept in water that's colder than 50 degrees and you would be good.

Not sure if you've been following my thread, but I'm in a very similar stocking situation as you and Bill Cody has recommended that I wait until after spawn to stock my YP in order to time next years spawn with fall stocked SMB. So I really think you would be fine either way. I was a little concerned about the explosion of the YP before the SMB would be able to control the numbers. Hopefully Bill will see this and chime in. I'd really be interested to see his reply as to what the differences may be in stocking YP this early vs. post spawn.

JamieE,

Yeah, that was the plan based on Bill's recommendation a couple pages back. I thought I read some where that perch weren't all about water temps, so I figured I'd check back here to see if I should potentially change things up.

I did see your thread and kinda wondered the same thing as to why he recommended for you to stock perch post spawn and for me to stock pre-spawn with similar conditions.

Heck with 6-10" more snow coming tonight, I'm not so sure I'll see the ice leave by April... Good thing the pond is brand new and has very few fish in it or I'd be concerned with fish loss.

Stocking YP pre or post spawn primarily depends on if you want to have lots of young YP this summer or next summer. If you don't have predators present to consume the small YP then I would stock post spawn. If you are trying stock a new pond with only a few adult perch to save money then stock pre-spawn. There are various reasons for stocking pre or post spawn. Each pond situation can be unique.

Well the ice finally moved out all at once today and yesterday. The wife said we had white caps with all of the wind we had today.



So now should I go ahead and get my perch in the pond or should I wait until I know my stocked perch have spawned already? I probably could make a run to Shelby next weekend to pickup my stocker perch.

Perch availability is delayed here by 2-3 weeks, check with your supplier.

Huntmaster, I just talked to them at Shelby a week or so ago and he said it was too late to move perch that were full of eggs. He thought his perch would spawn anytime given the way they looked. I'm waiting until mid to late may to stock mine and feel pretty good about it. You could end up with a lot of perch if they pulled off a good spawn the first year without predators to keep them knocked down.

I seen in your thread you got papershell crayfish from Smith creek last season. Were you happy with what you got from them? I'm looking at spending a pretty penny to get enough stocker crayfish for my 3 acres. Bill recommended 1000/ac so I'll be making a pretty sizeable investment in them.

One can stock fewer than 1000/ac if you don't have predators that will right away eat the stockers. Lower stock densities for production before predators are added can be 400-600/ac.

The papershell's that I got from Smith Creek were very active when they arrived. I can't speak to how many made it through the winter, but based on what I know now, I wouldn't hesitate to order more from them.

I have Shelby on my list to contact today...

Huntmaster - Isn't Laggis Fish farm in Gobbles MI closer to you than Anna OH? Shelby and Laggis have the same strain and broodstock of YP.

Bill, I plan to stock perch in middle of May and 5-7" SMB in October at a reduced rate... Something like 50-60 SMB for the 3 acres. With these stocking numbers in mind what number of crayfish would you suggest? I'm sure that the bass will put some pressure on the crayfish before they get to reproduce the first time so I assumed I should stock at the higher rate.

Bill,

I checked that last fall when you mentioned both and Shelby is about 20 minutes closer to me. Also, I'm down the 75 corridor a little more than I am out by Gobbles.

I talked to Steve yesterday and he didn't think his perch spawned yet, but I don't think I'm going to be able to make it down until next weekend, so I may be after the spawn. Based on what I've heard here lately, that may not be all that bad anyways.

How big were they?

ETA: I looked them up, they say 3"-4", did they come in as advertised?

This is kind of interesting. Calico crayfish in Kansas

So much for the "non-burrowing".

Although this shows as being native north of where I live, I wonder if we do not already have these. I will have to catch some local ones (bunch every spring right out in our front road ditch as it holds water seasonally) and try to identify them.

I may be able to just use native ones.

I finally made it around to getting my perch in the pond.

150 4-6" perch were planted last week. Kids were excited to help put the new fish in the pond.



The older two wanted to put some in and show them off.



And away they go...



One that the kids squeezed a little to much while putting it in the pond.

Forgive me for not reading this entire thread, but I am interested. Are you putting the YP in your pond for table fare? If so, what slot size will you be harvesting and which ones will you let go back in the pond?

Calico crayfish burrow primarily when the pond goes low or dry to persist until water returns. Burrows are generally shallow and not complex. Shelter in generally under or among rocks in most high water ponds.

A little over a year after we planted the perch, I took the kids out fishing for an hour or so and here are two perch we caught.

Here's an average GSH that we caught.

And then there is this guy... Either made its way in with my FHM or with my RES. Is there anything I can really do or do I just live with them?

Its interesting to see the progress of your pond as my pond is basically a few months behind yours. Nice YP and GSH! Are you feeding pellets?

Sorry to see the greenie...

Huntmaster, I agree with Jamie. What size were those when stocked?
Janie, good ta hear from ya as it's been awhile. You need ta bring us up to date about your pond. I was happy that you got those nice YP from Cecil. Was that last summer and weren't they around 7-8"s? You and your son are still welcome to come fish up here.

If you scroll up a few posts, I have pics of our stocking. They were 4-6" and stocked in late May 2014.

I have been feeding three times a day for 20 seconds each feeding this year. We caught a bunch of GSH around the feeder and the smaller YP. That one swallowed the hook, so it ended up dieing. The GSF and the bigger YP were caught on the opposite side of the pond in one of my shallow bays.

Hello Bob! I stocked the perch from Cecil in late Sept. Last year. They were more like 4-6" when stocked, but they are growing well. I just posted an update a few days ago.

What kind of feed do you guys feed and what protein level is it?

We caught 3 or 4 more YP today and they all looked good. Unfortunately we also caught several GSF of various sizes, so it looks like they've pulled off a spawn last year before I had any predators in the pond.

I'm going to get a SMB lure in the water today since we haven't caught one yet.