Steve_,

A good fish for starting than could produce forage "right now" and will produce offspring at water temps that GSH and FHM stop is Gambusia. They thrive in turbid water. There are two muddy catfish ponds I fish with my kids. One has only BH and Gams. It is has BH > 12" and its just FULL of Gams. Large females ... the size that produce > 200 fry per brood ... plus lots of smaller ones. Another pond has CC up to 5 lbs, BG, GSF, and Gams. The populations there start each year very subdued ... but here it is the middle of July and Gams are everywhere. Just amazing considering the BG/GSF overpopulation problem. Check out the link below:

https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?SpeciesID=849

You are in their native range and I guarantee that you could source them locally. Where you find them there will be lots of them but it only takes 1 pregnant female to populate a pond.


It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers