Stocking a pond

[Jlblake]

Good morning -

I just bought property with a pond. I had a company come out to analyze the pond. I received some good feedback but not as much detail as I was hoping for. I was given stocking recommendations.

My question: have any of you stocked your own ponds? I did some price shopping comparisons for the quote I received and found wide variance in price. I also found many different thoughts on stocking ratios. Goals weren't part of the discussion as much as I think they should have been. I'm not wanting trophy bass, I want fun times. I'm thinking about stocking about half of what the quote was and buying the fish at another fishery. Have any of you done that? What should I know before I take this project on?

Thanks!

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Needed to rephrase the question:

I'm not asking about whether I should stock it or about the feedback I received. I just want to know if any of you have restocked your own pond and if you have any other suggestions for how to successfully do so. I also wanted to know if anyone has experience adjusting the volume pro rata. Thanks.

 

[drssg]

Silly question, but are you sure it needs stocking? We had our pond dug, and I was surprised by how quickly fish showed up. If the pond will support fish, they are probably already there.

The fishery's goal is to sell fish, so I suspect it is common for them to suggest high stocking numbers.

 

[Jlblake]

Silly question, but are you sure it needs stocking? We had our pond dug, and I was surprised by how quickly fish showed up. If the pond will support fish, they are probably already there.

The fishery's goal is to sell fish, so I suspect it is common for them to suggest high stocking numbers.

I don't think that's a silly question. The truth is I don't know. I know I have fish. I have big fish and I have a variety. Catfish, bass, perch...they're all in there. Maybe the answer is to fish it for a while and see. I just know it takes time so I want to get started as early as possible if I do need them. The other thing is that they are relatively inexpensive if I'm just stocking. I can stock 1/2 or 1/3 of the recommendation to save money. I don't see how that could hurt but then again, I don't know anything about ponds...or fish either really.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I considered it, but just too much on my plate and I would feel responsible for the little fishies.

Of course, they gave you "good feedback" lol

 

[fatjay]

What is the goal of the pond? To fish it and feed a family of 4 every night? If not, i have good news, fish reproduce on their own! So if you only occasionally fish the pond, chances are you're not going to deplete it and the fish will do their job of restocking all on their own.

 

[Jlblake]

I considered it, but just too much on my plate and I would feel responsible for the little fishies.

Of course, they gave you "good feedback" lol

guess you'd have to know what I learned to know if good feedback was funny or not, right? I learned with perfect clarity that the pond is in good shape...no leaks, dock is good, water quality is good and there are a variety of fish in the pond. It truly was good feedback. Could have been better but I got what I paid for...which would be another important part of the equation...what did I pay for what I got.

 

[Stan B]

We had our pond dug, and I was surprised by how quickly fish showed up.

I assume it is connected to another body of water, right? If not, how in the world....

 

[MossRoad]

I don't think that's a silly question. The truth is I don't know. I know I have fish. I have big fish and I have a variety. Catfish, bass, perch...they're all in there. Maybe the answer is to fish it for a while and see. I just know it takes time so I want to get started as early as possible if I do need them. The other thing is that they are relatively inexpensive if I'm just stocking. I can stock 1/2 or 1/3 of the recommendation to save money. I don't see how that could hurt but then again, I don't know anything about ponds...or fish either really.

Thanks for the input.

How large is the pond? Perch do not usually do well in small ponds.

Around here (northern Indiana) they (the fish stocking people) often suggest a mix of bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. Something like 1 pound of bass for every 10 pounds of bluegill to start. Channel catfish won't reproduce well unless you provide places for baby catfish to hide from bass.

I'd say do a fish inventory of your existing pond first before spending any money on stocking. You might already have the correct species in there. Then it's a matter of balancing out the species. For example, if you have an overabundance of small fish, keep as many of them as you can. Eat or use as garden fertilizer. Through all the large predators back in to help keep the small ones in check. Balance the weeds to provide not too much hiding places for small fish, etc....

 

[Jlblake]

I assume it is connected to another body of water, right? If not, how in the world....

believe it or not, supposedly birds drop fish eggs and a remote body of water will populate with fish over time...as long as that particular water is viable source for fish to live in.

 

[Jlblake]

How large is the pond? Perch do not usually do well in small ponds.

Around here (northern Indiana) they (the fish stocking people) often suggest a mix of bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. Something like 1 pound of bass for every 10 pounds of bluegill to start. Channel catfish won't reproduce well unless you provide places for baby catfish to hide from bass.

I'd say do a fish inventory of your existing pond first before spending any money on stocking. You might already have the correct species in there. Then it's a matter of balancing out the species. For example, if you have an overabundance of small fish, keep as many of them as you can. Eat or use as garden fertilizer. Through all the large predators back in to help keep the small ones in check. Balance the weeds to provide not too much hiding places for small fish, etc....

Thanks for the good feedback. The pond is 4 acres. I was hoping to have the fishery folks provide a fish count but they just do some sampling and they won't extrapolate. I know I can track what I catch but I am not the most successful fisherman (hope that changes). The fish people gave me a suggestion for how many of each species and from fishery company to company they really don't deviate all that much. I'm thinking I can half-stock and be fine though. I'm not feeding a family with the fish, just having fun. We will take fish out though.

 

[Stan B]

My question: have any of you stocked your own ponds?

When I was a kid my parents had a land-locked pond, spring fed. We'd go catch fish in other bodies of water and release them into the pond. Don't know if that's possible, proper or legal, but we had a lot of fish in it by the time they sold the place some 10 or so years later.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was just suggestiong that it's like going to an alternative health practitioner and it's always positive because they always have the products and services to cure (or better yet control) whatever ails you.

We used to catch and release trout into our ponds, but it's probably illegal.

 

[3gunr]

I also have a 4 acre pond , When i bought the proPERTY 19 YRS AGO THE POND WAS LOADED WITH BASS ,BLUEGILL AND SOME CRAPPIE. wE ALWAYS FISHED FOR FUN AND RARELY KEPT ANY FISH. THE CRAPPIE EVENTUALLY ATE ALL THE BLUEGILL AND THE BASS STARVED TO DEATH. I WAS NOT VERY GOOD AT POND MAINTANANCE. ABOUT 4 YRS AGO I DECIDED TO RESTOCK , BUT WAS TOLD TO FIRST GET AS MANY CRAPPIE OUT AS POSSIBLE. WE TOOK ABOUT 500 LARGE CRAPPIE OUT. THE FISH PLACE RECOMENDED 1000 BLUEGILL AND 100O RED EARED SUNFISH AND 200 BASS. THAT WAS GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE SO WE DID HALF OF THAT AS WELL AS 40 LBS OF MINNOWS. IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING SO FAR.

 

[drssg]

I don't think that's a silly question. The truth is I don't know. I know I have fish. I have big fish and I have a variety. Catfish, bass, perch...they're all in there. Maybe the answer is to fish it for a while and see. I just know it takes time so I want to get started as early as possible if I do need them. The other thing is that they are relatively inexpensive if I'm just stocking. I can stock 1/2 or 1/3 of the recommendation to save money. I don't see how that could hurt but then again, I don't know anything about ponds...or fish either really.

Thanks for the input.

When I discovered that Mother Nature had stocked my pond, I already had some fish on order, so I went ahead and also stocked from the local fishery. IIRC, I used about 1/2 or 2/3 of their suggested quantity.

I'm no expert, but if you're comfortable with that approach, I also don't see how it would hurt anything.

 

[Jlblake]

I also have a 4 acre pond , When i bought the proPERTY 19 YRS AGO THE POND WAS LOADED WITH BASS ,BLUEGILL AND SOME CRAPPIE. wE ALWAYS FISHED FOR FUN AND RARELY KEPT ANY FISH. THE CRAPPIE EVENTUALLY ATE ALL THE BLUEGILL AND THE BASS STARVED TO DEATH. I WAS NOT VERY GOOD AT POND MAINTANANCE. ABOUT 4 YRS AGO I DECIDED TO RESTOCK , BUT WAS TOLD TO FIRST GET AS MANY CRAPPIE OUT AS POSSIBLE. WE TOOK ABOUT 500 LARGE CRAPPIE OUT. THE FISH PLACE RECOMENDED 1000 BLUEGILL AND 100O RED EARED SUNFISH AND 200 BASS. THAT WAS GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE SO WE DID HALF OF THAT AS WELL AS 40 LBS OF MINNOWS. IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING SO FAR.

Thank you. This is what I'm worried about. I think I'm going to stock but at a slower rate than they want me to do. They were focused on trophy bass and I am not interested in that. I know I have to keep fish and take them out though.

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Lots of knowledge and info at Pond Boss Forum | Forums powered by UBB.threads™

Hope it is okay to post that link. They have answered a lot of questions for me.

 

[oosik]

WoW!! Where to start.
- where are you located
- does the pond ice over in the winter
- how deep
- a picture of the entire pond and surrounding area
- spring fed, creek fed, no feed
- what is the natural food for the fish in your pond ( Ferry shrimp, isopods( type), crayfish, frogs, etc )

OK - now that we have that info from you.....

A truly productive pond with spiny-ray fish( bass, crappie, perch, etc ) will not need stocking unless there is a major catastrophe. Winter kill, summer kill, influx of some chemical toxicant, etc. Spiny-ray fish, given proper spawning areas( cattails is a good area ) will reproduce in a pond.

I have a ten acre pond. It's 80 feet deep. Five acres of open water - five acres of cattails with water depth from ten feet to three feet. I have both large & small mouth bass. Every spring there are large "pods" of yolk-sac bass fry all around the lake. They make good food for the other bass in the lake. The smart ones remain in the cattails until they are larger and, more or less, safe. I have many bass that look just like Polaris nuclear submarines. I enjoy standing on the cliffs and watching the groups swim past. Smallest in the lead - largest bringing up the rear. If you do purchase bass be certain they are released into a portion of your pond ( again, cattail area ) where they simply do not become food for the fish in your lake. Or get them 6" or bigger. At that size they can, pretty much, fend for themselves. Plant small( 2" to 3" ) bass into any unprotected area of your pond. Expect 5% survival. Plant them deep into a cattail area - expect up to 20% survival.

A view off my front porch( mid-summer, early winter). The five acres of cattails is way down at the far end. The area I live in is called the Channeled Scablands. The basaltic lava cliffs, on both sides of the lake, are up to 40 feet high. There is no gradual shoreline. It is 45 feet deep immediately off the cliff face.

View attachment 636148View attachment 636149

 

[MossRoad]

You don't want cattails in most small ponds as they'll tend to cause a few problems. They easily outcompete other plants and can lead to a monoculture. They can cause the shoreline to get shallow faster, since their roots are so large and prolific, holding rotting plant material and building up the bottom. They contribute to pond eutrophication. They attract muskrats like mad, and if you have a dam, you don't want muskrats. Stuff like that. Once cattails are established, they're also hard to get rid of and/or control.

As for the number of fish in a pond, a body of water can only support X many pounds of fish life.

So, for example, let's say your pond will support 1000 pounds of fish life. That can be:
- 1 one thousand pound fish
- 10 one hundred pound fish
- 100 ten pound fish
- 1000 one pound fish
- 10,000 one-tenth pound fish

If the pond already has fish in it, and you throw in a thousand small fish, there's a decent chance that they will never grow and most likely either get eaten by the existing fish, contribute to stunted growth in your existing fish, or die of starvation.

Without knowing what's in there first, it's a complete guess if you're going to see good results or just waste your money on a fish stocking.

 

[oosik]

Cattails. What Moss says in mainly true. However - if you do have cattails - you might just as well learn to live with it. The pond has cattails because the wind blown seed came from somewhere and always will. You can spend a whole lot of money controlling them and you will ALWAYS have cattails. Water depth will limit their spread. I have none out beyond 8 to 10 foot water depth.

Food. My lake is choked with fresh water Fairy shrimp. They resemble a Norwegian long boat - upside down. The bass grow big, fat on this plus all the frogs, crayfish & aquatic insects. There is a down side to having big bass. The Mallards, Coot & Ruddy ducks no longer raise their young on my lake. Once the young fledge they are back on the lake. But not as hatchlings.

Muskrat. I have one very active family of Muskrats. They have a quite large lodge down at the beginning of the cattails. They have constructed a small dam on the outlet. It has raised the water level about a foot and helps maintain a more constant water level year round. My situation is one of the few times when these critters are quite helpful.

Fish. My lake has over 60+ years had many differing types of fish. My father was a fisheries biologist and had access to many types. Rainbow trout - brook trout - silver salmon - red salmon - steel head and now large & small mouth bass. The trout, salmon & steel head need a river to spawn in. There is nothing like a river anywhere around here. So...every three or four years a new batch of trout/salmon fingerlings would be planted in the lake. Spinyray fish will spawn in a lake. That's why I have bass in the lake now. There is a private hatchery north of me but the cost of fingerling trout is truly excessive.

Pleasures. I occasionally will dry fly fish the bass. I don't eat the bass. My greatest joy is watching them as they swim by the cliffs. I will occasionally throw a five gallon bucket of ants/ant nest in the lake. Fun to watch them pick off all the ants.

 

[Jlblake]

Lots of knowledge and info at Pond Boss Forum | Forums powered by UBB.threads™

Hope it is okay to post that link. They have answered a lot of questions for me.

Thank you!