Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Green Sunfish

I have been looking to build the perfect forage/bait pond for my area. Actually not build but instead utilize existing water around me. Fathead minnows and golden shiners have failed a couple of my criteria.

There is a question coming. I promise.

The green sunfish has, so far, met most of my criteria especially for fishing bait. There is, however, one BIG question left. If I take a small pond, with an established population of adult LMB,BCP and pour in hundreds of pounds of YOY green sunfish. What should I expect to happen to my fishery?

They will ruin it I would suspect.

But if you want lots of green sunfish for bait, go ahead and stock them

Ditto. Green Sunfish are known to ruin ponds. They're aggressive behavior and large mouths compete with bass. They don't get very big and will stunt. I made the mistake of putting some in my ponds, from which I have been removing them every chance I get. The bluegills and pumpkinseeds are just starting to reestablish a healthy population. As far as bait, I'm not sure.

Results will depend a lot on the amount and type of cover for the GSF. It has a better chance of working in a pond with minimal or no cover - bathtub type pond. Success decreases as amount of cover increases. Be prepared to renovate the pond. IMO it is a poor idea unless the pond can be easily drained or renovated in case the idea does not go as planned.

Question - ""What should I expect to happen to my fishery?"" if the GSF become abundant expect recruitment of all other species to be impacted, often dramatically decreased.

Thanks for the input guys...CRAP...I was hoping they were going to work. When I fish with them, the crappies, perch, and bass hammer'em. They are the hardiest sons of guns on the hook and in the bucket. Soooooo easy to box trap too.

We are not saying they will not work okay. Just be prepared to renovate if the GSF do not meet expectations. "Roll the dice" and see what happens and report back. Consider it research. Results will be very helpful on this forum.

If you keep adding GSF and reduce the other predator #s it may work ok. Its not that it can't work its just that it will require a lot of work on your part to manage the situation (adding more GSF and harvesting LMB and BCP).