Texas Fishing Forum

Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it

Posted By: BDURHAM78

Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/04/15 12:43 AM

Just built a pond in terrell area. Is their any programs out their that the state will stock it for free for you ?
Posted By: Buzzard Breath

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/04/15 01:35 AM

I googled "Affordable Fish Act", this came up:

Posted By: Fishbreeder

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/04/15 01:36 AM

Originally Posted By: BDURHAM78
Just built a pond in terrell area. Is their any programs out their that the state will stock it for free for you ?


Lets hope not.....when you get free stuff from the state it isn't gong to be worth half of what you paid for it.....that goes double for fish.

Check with your local county extension agent or go to the Texas Aquaculture Association's site and get their "Fish Availability List."

Probly some fishmonger or other will step in here directly....there are some good ones around. Find out what they got to say about stocking your pond and do like they tell you for good results.

Alternatively, there's some fairly savvy pond managers on this forum, some in it professionally and others that own ponds and have a wealth of knowledge on getting the most out of them. They can help point you in the right direction as well.

Building, stocking, managing and harvesting a pond is an adventure.
Posted By: salex

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/05/15 01:31 AM

Originally Posted By: BDURHAM78
Just built a pond in terrell area. Is their any programs out their that the state will stock it for free for you ?


I believe the year was 1980 or 1981 when the state stopped stocking ponds. Expect to pay $400 to $800 an acre depending on your goals and whom you buy the fish from. One of the first questions you have to ask yourself is what do you want the pond to be? Goals? A good pond stocking company will ask lots of questions to better understand what YOU want out of your pond.

Be careful buying from some of the "fish trucks" that you find in parking lots at feed stores in the Spring. In some cases they know you don't know the difference in a red ear, hybrid bluegill, and a coppernose bluegill. But more importantly what 5000 bluegill look like as opposed to 2000 bluegill. Ultimately, you have to trust the company you buy from, so dealing with a reputable company that has been doing it awhile is a good idea. Prices vary wildly and the real cheap guys can be real cheap for a reason.
Posted By: BrandoA

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/05/15 07:27 PM

Parents bought a ranch in Mills county this summer. On it it has a 3yr 15 acre lake on it. It was stocked three yrs ago ( this spring will be 3rd spawn) with baitfish...shiners, fathead minnows, Red Ears, and Coopernose Bluegill. This May we are going to stock it with game fish. We are going to use Overton to get our fish. Will be stocking it with the Camelot Largemouth Bass, channel catfish and Hybrid Crappie. Will also add about 10000 Threadfin shad this spring. Our goal is to have a trophy LMB fishery with superior gentetics. The over all cost is going to be around $5000.00.
Posted By: salex

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/05/15 08:26 PM

Originally Posted By: BrandoA
Parents bought a ranch in Mills county this summer. On it it has a 3yr 15 acre lake on it. It was stocked three yrs ago ( this spring will be 3rd spawn) with baitfish...shiners, fathead minnows, Red Ears, and Coopernose Bluegill. This May we are going to stock it with game fish. We are going to use Overton to get our fish. Will be stocking it with the Camelot Largemouth Bass, channel catfish and Hybrid Crappie. Will also add about 10000 Threadfin shad this spring. Our goal is to have a trophy LMB fishery with superior gentetics. The over all cost is going to be around $5000.00.


Brandon...Congratulations on having the patience to wait so long before you added your predator fish. You mentioned your goal was to have a trophy LMB fishery. Adding crappie and channel catfish will hurt not help your goal. Nothing wrong with adding those fish, but they compete for the same food that your soon to be added LMB want to eat. You can still have an outstanding bass lake with both crappie and catfish, but if your #1 goal is to grow giant bass; forget the crappie and catfish.
Posted By: BrandoA

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/05/15 09:50 PM

Originally Posted By: salex
Originally Posted By: BrandoA
Parents bought a ranch in Mills county this summer. On it it has a 3yr 15 acre lake on it. It was stocked three yrs ago ( this spring will be 3rd spawn) with baitfish...shiners, fathead minnows, Red Ears, and Coopernose Bluegill. This May we are going to stock it with game fish. We are going to use Overton to get our fish. Will be stocking it with the Camelot Largemouth Bass, channel catfish and Hybrid Crappie. Will also add about 10000 Threadfin shad this spring. Our goal is to have a trophy LMB fishery with superior gentetics. The over all cost is going to be around $5000.00.


Brandon...Congratulations on having the patience to wait so long before you added your predator fish. You mentioned your goal was to have a trophy LMB fishery. Adding crappie and channel catfish will hurt not help your goal. Nothing wrong with adding those fish, but they compete for the same food that your soon to be added LMB want to eat. You can still have an outstanding bass lake with both crappie and catfish, but if your #1 goal is to grow giant bass; forget the crappie and catfish.


Steve thanks for the compliments. I understand that and if it were just my decisison I would have only LMB. However dad wants some catfish and crappie for kids etc. We are going to understock both and my understanding is that the hybrid crappie won't produce as rapidly as black and white crappie. I also read and was told that trophy bass will also feed on crappie as well. I am also hoping that buy waiting so so long to ad our predator fish that we will be way ahead with our baitfish population. I also think that due to the size and depth we should be able to have all three. At full pool the Depth is Approx 45-50ft deep. I guess in our goal would be have balanced fishery with a realistic opprotunity to catch 10lb+ bass.
Posted By: salex

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/06/15 04:03 PM

Brandon,

You have done your homework!!! Your assumptions and pond management terminology are spot on. Sounds like you guys are headed in the right direction. Don't forget to harvest at year 3. 90%+ of ponds forget this key and within 5 years have a lake full of stunted fish.
Posted By: BrandoA

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/06/15 11:29 PM

Steve,

What criteria do you recommend when harvesting?
Posted By: salex

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/07/15 01:32 AM

Weigh and measure your fish against the standard LMB relative weight chart. Just Google for the chart. If the fish are 90% are below then begin harvesting. Harvest amounts vary, but can be as little as 10 lbs per surface acre or as high as 50 lbs per surface acre in a severely stunted situation. If you will start in year 3 and be diligent removing 20 lbs per year of fish 14 inches or smaller is a good rule of thumb. If you really want trophy bass you can remove fish 16 or 17 inches or smaller. I have some lakes where we remove anything under 3.5 lbs and I know a lake where they remove anything 6 lbs and smaller. Those are "true" trophy lakes. Most "good" bass lakes use something in the 14" to 16" and below.

If you will weigh and measure your fish periodically, they will tell you when some need to come out.
Posted By: BrandoA

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/07/15 02:30 AM

Thanks Steve. That is great information. Would a slot limit work? Say harvest anything between 12-16"? Or is better just to stick with one hard fast measurement ?
Posted By: salex

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/07/15 03:59 AM

Stick with 14 inches and smaller and as the lake matures you can move to 16 inches.
Posted By: BrandoA

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/07/15 04:50 AM

Thanks Steve
Posted By: karpbuster

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/07/15 08:55 PM

I don't think so ... but that is really neat stuff. I have built a few small ponds, a lot of fun.
Posted By: BrandoA

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/10/15 06:04 PM

Talked dad into just stocking the big lake with Camelot Bass. We have two other ponds about 1.5 acres that we are going to put catfish. We also have 4 acre pond I may experiment with the hybrid crappie. Glad dad finally agreed.
Posted By: BrandoA

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 01/14/15 03:29 AM

Ordered 1000 Camelot's today!!! Looking forward to moving forward with this project . Dang this is going to be fun.
Posted By: jeffb31

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 04/01/15 07:41 PM

Originally Posted By: Buzzard Breath
I googled "Affordable Fish Act", this came up:



rofl! awesome.
Posted By: fish-n-quackers

Re: Just built new pond. Needing help stocking it - 04/30/15 07:40 PM

tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/visit/information

This is TPWD Fisheries in Athens, at one time helping create fisheries is what they were all about, you can get allot of info from them. Good luck
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