Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,902
Posts557,110
Members18,452
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,417
ewest 21,475
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,112
Who's Online Now
9 members (Boondoggle, Sunil, jbird5986, FireIsHot, Angler8689, FishinRod, Dylanfrely, Bill Cody, Deancutler), 762 guests, and 180 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#530307 02/06/21 09:40 AM
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 1
D
OP Offline
D
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 1
I have reclaimed in December, a small woodland pond fed by springs. It is mostly shaded and thus the water is cold. I’m in northwest R.I.
It is about 100’ X 100’ in size and 10-12’ deep.
Essentially it was mucked out by an excavator after pumping out all the water possible, and dug down until we hit a gravel base.
I stocked it with about 50 Golden Shiners, 30 brown bullhead and 6 yellow perch.
My goal is to catch shiners for bait, and catch yellow perch and bullhead for the table.
Since it is a new pond there is virtually nothing for these fish to eat at this time.
Around here bullhead usually bury in the mud and hibernate in winter.
I caught the perch ice fishing and believe 4 are females and two are males, so I’m hoping they will spawn in the spring.
The perch were adults 8”-10” with the females full of roe.
I know largemouth are advised to balance the populations, but that’s not what I want.
Yellow perch can only eat a shiner up to bait size, so I’m hoping they will somewhat control the shiner population, while I’ll be able to catch the larger shiners for bait.

I realize the bullhead which I caught last October and kept in a tank until stocked, may eat the other fish’s eggs but I’d like to catch some of the bullhead to eat. The bullhead are 6”-8”

I’m also considering putting a few rainbow trout in as it is spring fed and the water should be cold enough in summer.
Currently the water hasn’t completely settled, still small amounts of organic matter suspended in the water column.

Any advice would be appreciated!

What can I feed these fish to get them through the winter alive?

Denny R.

Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491
Likes: 13
M
Offline
M
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491
Likes: 13
Those YP will eat the bullhead fry like crazy this spring - bh fry will stay in very tight bait ball schools. Also the bh will most definitely eat the yp fry

Keep an eye out for the YP ribbons after ice out.

Bullhead and YP have comparable mouth sizes - you will need to have a very large forage base to keep both growing to potential. BH also can be feed trained very, very quick and easily.

Hybrid stripped bass or smallmouth bass might be a great option if you can establish a good sustainable population of bh and yp over the next couple of years. Walleye too

Last edited by Matzilla; 02/06/21 09:58 AM.

Mat Peirce
1.25 acre southeast Iowa pond
LMB, BG, YP, WE, HSB, RES, BCP
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 2,213
Likes: 514
S
Offline
S
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 2,213
Likes: 514
Not to be a party pooper here but it's been my experience when dealing with BH you usually end up with a very turbid water body which inhibits the sight feeders, makes them considerably less efficient as a predator.
I hope you prove me wrong but I'm not sure YP can keep up with the BH.

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,417
Likes: 794
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,417
Likes: 794
You will need underwater vegetation or dense brush for the YP to lay their eggs on so they will hatch. If they scatter them on the bottom, they may get covered in sediment and not hatch. You may want to throw in some Fathead minnows for the YP to eat. Once the pond comes alive with organics like phytoplankton when it warms up there should be plenty in there for the shiners to eat. I agree about the bullheads, depending on how many are there, they may muddy the water and cause problems.

I would just keep an eye on the fish population now, not stocking any apex predators until you see how things are going. Predators that wouldn't reproduce would be best, as the pond is roughly 1/4 acre and not very big.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).

Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
cro, HC1968
Recent Posts
pond experience needed
by jbird5986 - 03/28/24 09:07 PM
Alum vs Bentonite/Lathanum for Phosphorus Removal?
by FishinRod - 03/28/24 08:28 PM
New pond middle TN: establishing food chain?
by Bill Cody - 03/28/24 07:57 PM
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by FireIsHot - 03/28/24 07:33 PM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by Boondoggle - 03/28/24 06:45 PM
Working on a .5acre disaster, I mean pond.
by PRCS - 03/28/24 06:39 PM
Fungus infection on fish
by nvcdl - 03/28/24 06:07 PM
Can anyone ID these minnows?
by Dylanfrely - 03/28/24 05:43 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/28/24 04:48 PM
Yellow Perch Spawn 2024
by H20fwler - 03/28/24 04:29 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by LANGSTER - 03/28/24 03:49 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by esshup - 03/28/24 10:39 AM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5