Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose New pond needs stocked. SMB/YP/BG or RES

As noted above, NO BG. But you will be happy with SMB/YP/RES.

Do a search for SMB spawning beds (big head stone, 2' - 3' diameter ring of medium rocks, fill the basin with your pebble-to-1" rocks) and put some in along with some nearby stumps/logs. That should keep your SMB spawning nicely.

Don't worry too much about YP overpopulating in 1/2 acre. 1) SMB will eat them in preference to the RES due to their shape, 2) you can probably control YP spawning by baiting and then removing YP egg ribbons, and 3) 1/2 acre is not too big to manage populations by angling.

Put in FHM as far ahead as possible - if the budget is tight, do them a year ahead to stretch out the purchases. Consider Gambusia (mosquito fish) - they are smaller than FHM but fast and prolific enough to maintain a presence even though RES, YP, and SMB will all eat them. I have had Gams in with my SMB/YP/RES/BGxRES since 2007 (also in my LMB/BG pond) end they keep breeding and feeding the bigger fish. No negative effects on the spawning of other species noticed.