I need some expertise as I have just been put in charge of the re-stocking of our 210 Acre lake in South Carolina. I am lost a bit and need some advice.
Some background I am sure will be needed, so here goes.
The lake is 210 acres, spring-fed,mostly 4-10 feet deep and the deepest part is 35 feet deep. The water is very clear to where you can see 8-10 feet deep and the PH is Currently 6.3. We are in the process of adding Christmas Trees and Pallets as the structure and cover is limited right now.
There are Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Shellcracker, a small number of Hybrid Crappie, Chain Pickerel, Grass Carp,and Blue Catfish.
The Beavers are being trapped, Slider turtles seem fine, we have a pair of Bald Eagles as well as a few Ospreys.
Only 10-15 people fish this private lake and most bass are 1-2.5-3# fish.
Some fish between 4# and 8# are caught (but not often) and a 12# 12 ounce and a few 10#rs were caught last year.
We see a large amount of 3-5 inch bass and bluegill around most of the docks- they seem plentiful.
The HOA does not want to electro-shock to see exactly the balance of the lake and I cannot convince them, so it's a dead issue.
One company suggested the following fish to stock based on our budget and that most of the fisherman want bigger Bass.
30,000 Bluegill 3-4"
15,000 Shellcracker- 3-4'
2,000 4-6" Bluegill
2,000 4-6" Shellcracker
1,500 Largemouth Bass-2-4"
30,000 Fathead Minnows
Questions I have:
-Does this balance of fish make sense and if not any suggestions?
- I now have been asked to add Crappies as well. Will this effect the bass negatively and how many Crappie could/should we add?
- Would it be beneficial to add Dye to the water and what would it cost approximately?
- How much Lime would need to be added to increase the PH from 6.3 to a healthier PH amount?
- Are Fat Head minnows better in this case than Mosquito Fish?
- Any other suggestions?
Thank You for any guidance and thoughts.
