Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Help me re-stock.

Hello, if you read my first post (link below), then you know my pond of 15 years is gone.

I need your input along with quantity as to what I need to stock into my "new" pond. It is ready for new fish with aeriation going. This is a clean slate to start with.

I appreciate any help or input. Could you please give a brief reason as to why you think I should order a certain fish. I need to make this order no later than June 1, 07.

Pond size: 1/2 acre surface. I feed floating catfish feed every day. Location is Tennessee. I had a great run the first time, I just want a reasonable run again.....maybe 20 years this time........ :p

I would like to get Channel cats and some type of big, aggressive, reproducing BGs.

Also some LMB and fathead minnows.

I also want several grass carp.

Here is a link to my first post here concerning my ponds problems,

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=004218

Robbie Roberson

Hello again, Robbie. Best of luck with the new endeavor, I'm sure the experts will chime in shortly. Glad you decided to stick around.

Add RES as 20-25% of your BG total to the mix, for snail control and a nice, big sunfish.

Please help me out with your ideas when you can, I need to order soon, thank you.

Example: for you size pond with aeriation and feeding, try this,

500 HBGs

150 channel cats

50 LMB

20 pounds fat heads

4 grass carp

I have to start somewhere, I know nothing about all these other fish like copper nose, red ear etc.....so give me your opinions, I'm all ears.


Robbie Roberson

BG and RES rather than HBG. The HBG will not reproduce enough for LMB. You can restock the HBG every year or so but many will be eaten before they get big. Think about feed trained LMB as that could offset the forage needed.

Consensus also seems to be to limit initial numbers of catfish, unless you're going to harvest a bunch.

I think you'll get more of a response if you can give a clear idea of your goals-is this a pond for you to fish in? For your kids and/or grandkids? Do you want to raise monsters? What species of monsters?

There's a ton of info in the old threads about types of fish to choose, also.

Robbie, I think grass carp are a great tool when needed. Do you have a weed/grass problem? If not, I would address that problem when it occurs. If no current weeds, they are like having a barber follow you around in case you need a haircut. Also, the large carp that you lost had diminished appetites and feeding needs. No so with 10 to 12 inch stockers. Those guys need groceries and a lot of them. Four young grass carp just might denude your water of the shallow cover that young fish need before they can become a mouthful. They also might muddy the pond rooting for plants.

I am a fan of HBG only only in a totally pellet fed catfish/HBG environment where fishing,eating and restocking is the primary goal. Other than that, they just take and don't give.

The fatheads are only a temporary boost to a new pond. The predators pretty well clean them out but they have done their job. Great tool and I know a guy that budgets for 20 lbs of fatheads per year to keep from having to control bluegills. However, this guy doesn't have reproducing bass. I'm not sure I agree with him because a bigger predator needs a bigger mouthful. It's a matter of energy expended vs. calories obtained. The jury is still out on this guys pond but he may know something that I don't.

Thanks guys.....very much, I am absorbig this info. as fast as I can.

I appreciate all the suggestions.

I will be back.............

Robbie Roberson

If you like HBG more than LMB, then you could go with HBG and HSB(wipers). Folks have been having good luck with them to control the lower numbers of hybrid bluegill. Since you like to feed, they love the feed trough.
HBG
HSB
CC
FHM
As far as numbers, ask your hatchery first, then let the pros here digest the numbers.

I would be worried that one or two decent sized bass have survived and would wreck my restocking. So I would partially drain and rotenone ASAP to be safe.

Also, as you have probably discovered from reading here, your individual goals determine what and how many you should stock. However, to take a stab at it based on what it sounds like you want, I'd do something like this:

200 HBG
200 BG
100 CNBG
100 RE
2-3 lbs FH
30-50 LMB
50-150 CC

With the CCs the higher end is better if you plan on catching and eating quite a few quickly.
With fatheads you don't need many on a new stocking since they will multiply like crazy before the predators get big enough to eat them. I had them everywhere the first spring.
I would also consider a few HSB for fun.

Hello, I have a preliminary restocking list I might need to edit.

I am hesitant about the carp, but my wife loves them and you know how that goes....... :rolleyes:

I may go for broke on the fat heads just in case a few LMB have lingered in my pond. I can't see how since I have not got a bite in over a year.

Let me know what you think, I will be ordering very soon. These are coming from Arkansas to Tennessee on June 5th.........unless someone here talks me out of it.

Here is my list for a 1/2 acre surface area pond aeriated and fed pellets daily.

Channel Catfish 350

Hybrid Bluegill 250

Largemouth Bass 50

Redear Bream 100

Fathead Minnows 6 cups ??

Triploid Grass Carp(White Amur) 5

These all go in the same day.........


Thanks for your input.


Robbie Roberson.

Robbie,

How big will your stockers be? It looks like you'll be quite short of forage for the LMB; even if they're very small now, they'll grow a lot this summer, and if there's not much reproduction of anything else by summers end, they'll be hungry and perhaps eating things you'd rather they didn't. Your RES aren't big produces, and the HBG won't produce much at all, so your bass will initially be depending on FHM, which between the LMB, RES, and HBG will be getting a lot of predation-probably too much to really flourish. You could 1]wait on LMB while your forage base is getting established or 2]stock a bunch of larger BG that, especially if fed, might spawn 2 or 3 times before fall or 3] both 1 and 2.

It looks like you're a catfish fan!

Yolk Sac, yes I am a channel cat fan......this time though I plan to eat a few sometimes.

That is really good advice about the LMB. I am very strongly considering doing that. What if I only stocked 25 LMB ?

The sizes will be like the list below,

Channel Catfish 5-8"
Large Mouth Bass 1-3
Hybrid Bluegill 2-4
Grass Carp 8-11
Redear Bream 1-3

Robbie Roberson

My wife wants to wait on bass until fall so the little ones can grow.

What about 25 LMB instead of 50 and stock extra Fat heads so they won't eat the little ones even IF they grow enough to do so in a short while............

Robbie Roberson.