Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose SMB/YP/RES in one acre dug pond

Huntmaster - a 2nd option is in March early Apr stock only the 150 4"-6" pellet trained perch, and some (25-30) of the 6"-8" YP. Then in fall stock the 25 8"-10". perch with the SMB. If you regularly feed the 4"-6" YP and a few larger YP they will essentially stay fat on pellets and will not eat very many of the minnows. The spring stocking of a few of the larger 6"-8" YP will insure a YP spawn in Apr of 2014. A spring YP spawn prior to the later SMB stocking results in a strong population of YP that will be the backbone of the SMB forage base.

A 3rd option is to stock all 3 sizes and numbers of the YP as planned and in addition add another 10 lbs of FHM in spring before the FHM start spawning. This will still provide you with lot of minnows for the fall SMB-RES stocking.

I find that both above options work well. Try one of them and next fall report back here telling us how many FHM and shiners you are seeing. FHM and Shiners should both be very apparent and eating pellets along with the YP.

Very doubtful you had a FHM spawn from the August stocking of FHM. You are not seeing them because they stay deep when there are no predators pushing minnows to the shallows for cover-refuge areas.