This introduces chemicals to the water and the fish. With the Hybrids, you can have a higher stocking rate. Taal Lake Hatchery, New London, WI. This is by far the most common bit of bad advice that gets tossed at pond owners interested in big bluegill; oftentimes the person giving the advice will suggest alternatives that typically include stocking hybrid bluegill instead, a plan that typically has far more negative consequences long-term due to genetic deterioration after the initial (stocker) generation. It can reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen at night in the water for fish to breath, he said. Garden pond and Lake plants $1.50 & up. These fish will spawn the first year allowing juvenile 2-3-inch bass to be stocked in May or June. In the fall, Sink recommends adding 500 bluegill or 400 bluegill and 100 redear sunfish per acre if not fertilizing. The Hybrid bluegill is the perfect fish for small ponds of one acre or less. Fish Stocking in Waters Exceeding One Acre Waters exceeding one acre can be stocked with several species of fish. Hybrid Bluegill are considered a sports fish. They grow fast, taste great, and they get to lunker sizes (supposedly up to 3 ¾ pounds). Catfish will spawn in warm water ponds when spawning habitat is available. Fish Pricing & Stocking Rates. The recommended fertilization programs can produce four to six times more fish than without, he said. Acadiana Fish Hatchery, is Louisiana’s #1 source for game fish lake and pond stocking. Grass Carp (white amur) stocking densities will vary based on the amount of vegetation present in your pond or lake. The sudden shock of changing water temperature can stress or kill fish. And warm summer months are when vegetation growth is the greatest in the pond.”. There are several varieties of bluegill available for fish and pond stocking. Especially focus on predatory fish like bass and catfish. The Hybrid Bluegill is a cross between the Bluegill and Green Sunfish. Take a water sample for analyses to determine the chemistry of the pond, Sink said. Stocking quality fish makes a big difference - get the best genetics you can find. The Alabama “At this point, the impatience starts creeping in and they might think just a few bass won’t hurt,” Sink said. All rights reserved. Management of Recreational Fish Ponds Series. As a result of the cross the Hybrid Bluegill is ~80-90% male, giving it a reduced reproductive potential and making it an ideal choice for those ponds prone to Bluegill stunting. Bluegill 100 count $70 Hybrid bluegill 100 count $85 Crappie( Speckled Perch) 100 count $85 Channel catfish 100 count $70 Grass carp triploid 1 count $15 Grass shrimp 1000 count $80 Bullfrog tadpoles 100 count $200 Koi 1 count $5 & up Largemouth bass 100 count $100. and are feed trained. Hybrid Bluegill: 1-3 Inch: $0.50 each: 3-5 Inch: $0.80 each: 5-7 Inch: $1.75 each: Sizes vary depending on time of the year. Those products create a very gradual shift in pH. Numbers are always important when stocking, but are even more so with a pond that small: don't overstock. Landowners should work toward creating alkalinity levels between 50-150 parts per million and a pH of 6-9, Sink said. But they can speed up the process by adding more minnows, bluegill and redear during the first two years. The Hybrid bluegill is the perfect fish for small ponds of one acre or less. Cooperative Extension System operates as the primary outreach organization Redear sunfish do not have a sufficient reproductive rate to sustain bass populations on their own. Springtime is the right time to begin the process of stocking new ponds with fish, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Young Hybrid Bluegill are putting their growth into body size, not reproduction, so allowing large males to survive lets them eat the smaller fish, thereby increasing their growth rate. “The numbers of fish stocked remain the same, you just start with larger sunfish that are ready to spawn,” he said. “And they can get to 2 pounds.” One-year-old fish can reach 8 inches in length, and the fish reach sexual maturity at … The Hybrid Bluegill is a cross between a green sunfish and a regular bluegill. Under these conditions, they compete with both bass and bream for food. Remember, complete replacement of bluegill (with hybrids) is not advised in new ponds, if bass are also stocked. The stocking options listed below are for ponds in the Upper Midwest (e.g. What could be wrong with that? Not to be used for a forage base because they … Supplemental feed should be provided two to three times per week. Hybrid bluegill. 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And early summer remaining fish and can exceed 1 pound if forage is plentiful or maintaining your population. The growth of largemouth bass in the correct ratios new Southern Specklebelly sunfish not... Walleye and stocking pond with hybrid bluegill trout in life, good things come to those who.!