Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Finally pulled the trigger!

Unless you have a keen interest in CC consider not adding them. Pros and cons to them. Decent guests to dinner. They do not clean the bottom nor eat bottom muck, they are pellet hogs, they learn to be hook smart as such biggest ones are difficult to catch so harvest all you catch, when larger than 18" they eat fish and each one takes the place of one bass, with several large ones in the pond they can make the pond cloudy (less than 3ft) by seraching for food or digging cavities for spawning and resuspended silt which is especially true when the pond is aerated which mixes respended materials. Consider adding yellow perch and or hybrid striped bass instead of catfish. CC can always be added at a later date; once they are in, they are rather hard to get rid of.

BG-RES can be added anytime. Adding them now as this 2019 year clsss of 2019 fingerlings will assure that they spawn in spring of 2020. If you add them now as larger ones (3"-6") a few will spawn this year. Otherwise if you stock fish truck fingerlings now or next spring (1"-2") they likely will not spawn until 2021. Your fishery goals will determine what and when to stock.
The fish from USDA can, but not always, be substandard quality as far as growth rate, desired size, other unwanted species mixed in with the fingerling sunfish, not be pellet trained, and sometimes health or guaranteed survival issues. Fish from a reputable fish farm are usually worth the added price.

Remember - the first fish stocking establishes the genetic basis of your entire fishery. Good fish genetics resulting in rapid growth is pretty important in producing a high quality fishery rather than just having an average fishery.