Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose New pond New owner

I am currently working on finishing up my approximately 1acre pond in south Louisiana. I am working on researching how to stock my pond. My goals are to have some fish for kids to learn how to fish (bluegills and catfish), and a healthy bass population for fun fishing. Would like to see some 5 pounders if possible. Am I on the right track going in the following direction.

1000 Bluegill
300 red ear
10 pounds fathead minnows
50 catfish
100 bass

Sounds ok. I PERSONALLY like to add bass about 6+ months later than prey.

If you want to grow the bass quicker, I'd triple the number of BG. Stocking HBG will allow the kids to catch fish quicker - they have bigger mouths than BG and will eat a bigger bait - bigger hook.

What size will each species of fish be when they are stocked?

I have not had a whole lot of success talking with hatcheries about any recommendations. From what I am gathering I will be getting fingerlings. My Local hatchery wants me to put 1500 HBG and no Native. He told me there was no point as the HBG would revert back to the native BG.

The biggest issue I have found is that there are some many different opinions. Listening to different Podcast and watching Youtube (which led me here) I feel like there is a large disconnect between hatcheries and biologist and pond managers. I just want to make sure I make the most informed decision I can to stock my pond.

If there's no fish in the pond currently, I like getting started with the first (3) items on your list:

"1000 Bluegill
300 red ear
10 pounds fathead minnows"

If there are no fish in the pond, then all these bluegill, redears and fathead minnows can all be fingerlings. And if you plan to feed pellets, you'll get fast growth on the bluegill. As esshup indicated, you could even go with more bluegill to start.

If you have the patience to wait 6 months, or 9 or 12 months to add the bass and catfish, you will see rapid growth in both in the first 2 years.

Having ample structure for the initial stocking of BG/RES and fatheads will help sustain them all as forage base into years 3+.

HBG are a GSF cross with a BG. They will never be BG and have many drawbacks and some positives. They can not be the forage base for LMB - they do not reproduce enough and have outbreeding depression over time.

BG - 1000 + as high as 3000 depending on goals
RES - 250
FH - 20 lbs
LMB - 50 @ 6 inches stocked 6 mths after the BG