SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO STOCK YOUR POND  

1. BASS:  Stock your Fathead minnows first so they can multiply before the other fish start to eat them. Some people wait a year, others a month or two so the minnows will have spawned at least a couple of times. Fathead minnows spawn intermittently through the summer, and only have to be 4-6 weeks old to spawn. If you stock only fathead minnows for the bass to eat you will have to restock the minnows quite frequently this is why you might want to stock the sunfish, shiners, perch etc. as additional forage for the bass.

      If the bass don't have lots of smaller fish to eat they will not grow well. Five pounds of forage food produce about one pound of fish gain in addition three pounds of forage per pound of bass is required for body maintenance. ( Fish Hatchery Management ) book  pg. 136 U.S. Dept. Fish and Wildlife. So if you want your bass to do well it is important that you stock plenty of forage.

2.  After you start seeing many schools of minnows around the shoreline you can stock your other fish. If you want to stock your shiners, sunfish, etc. along with the bass you can but try to get fish that are as close in size as possible.

      If you are stocking just bass and bluegill you can stock them at the same time, but you should stock 1000 1" bluegills with 100 bass per acre of pond. ( pg. 14 Fish Management In NY Ponds Cornell Co Op Ext.)

3.  If you are stocking Walleye it is recommended to handle and stock them at temperatures below 68 degrees F (20C) as per USDA Walleye Culture Manual pg. 82 If your pond is not loaded with forage fish before stocking the Walleye you will be disappointed in their rate of growth.

4.  TROUT: If you are stocking trout they do best when stocked alone. If it is a new pond you are stocking you can also stock some minnows with the trout, but they will thrive on an insect rich diet, and will take pellet feed.

     Rainbow trout seem to do better in most ponds as they can take slightly warmer temperatures than Brook trout. The pamphlet ( Fish Management In New York Ponds ) pg. 8 does not recommend Brown trout. It is best to stock your trout in the fall or spring when temperatures are not very high. To produce maximum yield stock 600 Fall fingerlings or 2000 Spring fingerlings per acre.

5.  We suggest stocking Daphnia as a seeding for new ponds as they are a food source for smaller fish. We suggest Koi to help with weed control.

If you need additional help give us a call 585-322-7805

E MAIL  smithcreekfishfarm@yahoo.com