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I've been considering stocking a few HSB Iin my largest pond at 1and 1/4 to 1 and 1/2 acres ( could be bigger?). How's everyone's experience with them? Good survival rates? Do they some to become hook shy? At what size do you harvest them? Any places online that can ship them through the mail?

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If the fish are transported correctly, you won't have morts. They don't like being caught in hot water as they fight like heck and need reviving that LMB/BG don't.

Since shipping fish is so expensive, you're better off finding a place that has them, and either picking them up, or combining them in with other fish that you order for delivery.

No worse off being hook shy than other fish in the pond.


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Hey Hunter, I have had HSB in my 1 acre pond now for about 4.5 years now. I originally put 24 in my pond at 6 to 8 inches, I like them so much I went ahead a stocked 22 more this last spring. My originals are now 4 to 5 pounds and fight like a fricken semi truck!! They are a blast and don't eat all your BG as their mouths don't quite get big enough for that. I think they do well with the LMB, as HSB tend to hang in more open water and LMB tend to hang more shallow or around habitat...

I couldn't believe how good tasting they were I was surprised. Just cut the red meat out and they are awesome eating!! They do get a bit hook shy the bigger they get! Try not to catch the big ones in 78 to 80 plus degree water or if you do you might as well keep them. When I say big I'm talking about 3 pounds or bigger they will more than likely die on you..... Only one I know of that could keep them alive and put them back in their pond was the late great George G. He was the man on HSB. Anyway good luck and have fun with them they are a blast if you can get them!!

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hh,
I can help with a couple of those...
I originally bought and caged 20 6" HSB in the fall about 4 years ago. 2 died in the 4 months in the cage but that was within the first week.
I have daily feedings of AM600 for the BG and HSB. The HSB grew to about 4 lbs in the first 2-3 years but have not gained much weight since because (IMO) battling for Aquamax 600 with the BG does not provide enough food for them to continue to grow. I visit the pond no more than weekly and throw some AM LMB food which the HSB gobble up with much gusto. I think they'd continue their growth if I could feed them the LMB food daily but I haven't pulled the trigger on a feeder to do that. There are others on this pond site that have grown them to double digits.
I can't say the've become hook shy because I find them difficult to catch on lures. I think they are wary of heavy line and things that don't look natural. I can hook them regulary on my ultralight rod I use for BG baited with crickets but, of course, cannot land them. Most recently, I've had a couple of people put a softened AM LMB pellet on a hook and toss it out. As stated, I try not to fish for them when the water is warm which is May through September here in the deep south.
Their best quality is their voracity whether it's feeding or fighting. They attack food like it's their last meal and fight harder than any freshwater fish I've every caught. I plan to start catching and cull some of the bigger ones and replace with 8-10" stockers this fall. I've never eaten one so I can't speak to that directly; perhaps I can answer that by December wink

Good luck,
Dan


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I guess that's some of the difference with HSB. Mine are not all feed trained I actually bought half and half. And I don't feed at all from mid Oct. till end of March so I know they have to eat BG cause mine are all fat and sassy.

Here is one of them from this spring my mom caught.



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I've landed HSBs on a variety of lures/baits. Small crankbait, jig, and this badboy on a chunk of chicken liver (was fishing for catfish)! Yup chicken liver. I pitched it to opposite side of canal and the HSB slammed it!


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Thanks to everyone that replied.It seems like everyone has had a pretty good experience with them. I am getting and releasing some today which are currently at 4-5 inches.I am putting them into a an already established pond and am trying to decide if its best to release them in open water or if Is should release them into into cover around the shoreline.I regularly hear and see bass jumping even in dense cover close to the shore, but in open water it is pretty common to see channel cats feeding. The channel cats are well aged and its been a few years since I've seen one under 5lbs. Any ideas?

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HSB are a wonderful fish. They are a very fast fish. We have some in the 10 pound range and they will make you think you've accidentally hooked a submarine. But...

I'm thinking a lot of those 5-6" fish will become fish food very quickly when placed in a pond with large LMB and CC. I'd try to figure out a way to protect them until they get bigger.


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Hh23
If you don't mind sharing where did you source them from. I'm wanting to introduce some in the future. Thanks and please keep us updated.


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I get mine out of Keo's fish farm here in Central Arkansas. One of the biggest dealers for HSB that I know of. I just happen to live about 20 miles from them... which is nice...

RC


The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
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Keo is a good source. I have used them and really nice 10 inch fish were delivered.

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Thanks RC and ewest.


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HSB instinctively inhabit open water and newly added stockers will not seek refuge in cover near the shoreline. They do swim relatively fast and it is likely that some of the 4"-5" stockers will survive living mostly in open water when large bass are present. New stockers become more vulnerable to bass predation with the young HSB come near-shore to the feeding area to eat pellets. Bass normally gravitate and often feed around areas with cover.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 10/10/16 01:09 PM.

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Originally Posted By: RC51
I get mine out of Keo's fish farm here in Central Arkansas. One of the biggest dealers for HSB that I know of. I just happen to live about 20 miles from them... which is nice...

RC


RC, you said earlier you stocked half and half of HSB feed trained and not feed trained? Keo feeds all his HSB produced, the only 2 things available to his fish are feed, and siblings, nothing else....Keo's are all "feed trained". In fact, I don't know of any supplier that raises HSB from fingerlings that grows them on anything but feed.



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Hey RM yes I got a batch there my first batch in fact the guy there said they had some non feed trained HSB? I said ok cool I take 12 non feed and 12 feed trained. I don't know if they guy didn't know what he was talking about or if they were just a separate batch they had at the time?? I don't know... but I was just going off of what he said. Then the second time I went the person there who was not the same guy said ALL our HSB are feed trained... So as you say I may have gotten some misinformation, but I have caught a few of my HSB from that first batch off of some big ole 3 and 4 inch shiners... So they must like it to some degree... As a matter of fact the one in the picture above with my mom was caught on a 4 inch shiner. Maybe they switched over at some point as they got bigger idk?

RC

Last edited by RC51; 10/11/16 07:12 AM.

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Enjoyed this thread thanks

Last edited by chambers270; 11/17/16 07:32 PM.

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Originally Posted By: chambers270
Enjoyed this thread, now I am wondering if I should put HSB, LMB or a combo of them in my 3/4 acre pond. I am adding 1,000 BG this month and wanted to add 50 or so LMB in the spring.


Read your other thread. This question was asked and answered there. No need to answer it twice.


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Sorry, I figured since the original thread started out talking about BG vs GG; I could ask the question in this thread which was started on HSB.


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I enjoyed the info here. At what stage should I stock the HSB. At the Same time as LMB. I will be stocking a new pond next week. Then mid summer LMB. And some CC. Should I do the HSB same time?

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With three types of predators, it would seem to be a predator heavy pond. From what I have read, you would reduce the # of each fish type. For instance, I was told by multiple members along with a few biologist to have a goal of 35-70 predators in my 3/4 acre pond.

I was thinking of splitting it between LMB and HSB since LMB will stick closer to the banks while the HSB will stay more in the open water.

I would think if you are stocking a new pond now with BG/RES/GSH/FHM or whatever forage base you would need to give them a minimum of 6 months with a lot of people advocating for a 1 year growth period prior to stocking predators, especially LMB.


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Timing for stocking of LMB-HSB will somewhat depend on what size of HSB that you can usually obtain unless you are willing to buy 3"-5" and raise them separately in a small pond or cage. For the initial stocking smaller HSB can go in with the LMB. NOTE reduce the number of LMB 1:21 for every HSB stocked. (SEE MY NOTE BELOW - ratio was an error). Reproduction from LMB will soon give you more small LMB than you need.

Later stocking of HSB - adult LMB will likely eat some of the smaller HSB at 3"-5". Remember that when you use HSB. Many like to "ladder stock" after the first stocking to maintain several size classes and replace natural and usually angler mortality especially during mid-summer when HSB are easily stressed to the point of exhaustion death when caught by anglers. Ladder stocking means adding more HSB every 2-3 years so the pond has several size classes of HSB and they are not all the same size.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 02/17/17 08:44 PM.

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Ok great thanks!!

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Bill,

Could you clarify the 1:21 ratio for me?

Last edited by Bill Cody; 02/17/17 08:26 PM.

3/4 Acre South Georgia Pond, 1,500 BG/RES; LMB coming soon

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Cody Note: That 1:21 ratio was an error it should read 1:1. One bass for each HSB. Try this and it should work well. The other option could be 2LMB to every 1 HSB, 2:1. Stocking of HSB with LMB can be a widely flexable ratio. Once the LMB have their first spawn,,, they will soon outnumber the HSB. When I had HSB in my pond with LMB-BG-YP, I preferred the HSB to LMB as a sport fish. HSB also grew bigger and faster than LMB, fought harder than LMB, and ate pellets better and more aggressively than LMB.

We need to remember the LMB will start reproducing after the 1st or 2nd year. They will soon outnumber the HSB, even if more HSB than LMB were initially stocked.

Generally it is thought that if the pond receives pellet feeding the LMB will eat more BG than the HSB, although this to my knowledge has not been proven nor tested. HSB eating pellets means these fish fill on pellets and thus eat fewer fish than a similar sized LMB.

With a HSB-LMB combo one could MANAGE for more or less predation on the smaller BG based on how many of HSB or LMB are harvested. Removing more HSB should result in fewer BG surviving i.e. one get heavier LMB predation. Removing more LMB should result in more BG surviving since fewer LMB are present to eat BG.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 02/17/17 08:51 PM.

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Thanks Bill, that makes a lot of sense. I really think I am going to start with half HSB and half LMB. I figured like you said the LMB will spawn and if I don't like the HSB I can catch them out or wait for them to eventually die.


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