Fish Species Choices

Hybrid bluegill, are a cross between green sunfish and bluegill.

They are mostly males and don't reproduce nearly as fast as other bream. Stocking hybrids in a new or renovated pond will slow down or eliminate the problem of bream overpopulation. Also, they grow much faster, bite a hook more aggressively and can be caught all winter. At least some largemouth bass should be stocked with hybrid bluegill to consume the offspring of the adults that do reproduce.

Fathead minnows should be stocked with hybrid bluegill to provide bass with sufficient forage.

Straight bluegill should generally be stocked if "catch and release" largemouth bass fishing is the priority.

Rainbow trout thrive when the water temperature is below 70ºF. Trout are excellent choices for raising in cages during the winter.

You can stock 6 - 8 inch fingerlings in late October and harvest trout up to 1 pound each in May before the water temperature exceeds 70°F. We offer a package deal each fall which includes a cage kit, trout fingerlings, and all the feed needed to grow the fish through the winter. We suggest stocking up to 350 trout in a cage that is 4 feet deep and 4 feet in diameter. Trout are very easy to clean. Our customers usually raise the fish as a hobby. At harvest time they have a big cookout, fill their freezer or sell some to friends. We like to dip the fish out of the cage and into a cooler of ice. Then, we gut the fish, wash it, put it on a grill and baste it with Italian salad dressing until done. Simple and delicious!

Tilapia are tropical algae eating fish. Blue tilapia are effective for controlling "moss" and filamentous algae in ponds. They will not survive water temperatures much below 50° F. Therefore, they will not overcrowd a pond and will provide forage for bass and catfish when they become sluggish before dying. Those that die without being eaten rarely float to the surface. Tilapia are the most important food fish in the world. They are becoming available in many grocery stores. Some people are raising them for food in cages floating in ponds and in tanks in greenhouses. Tilapia cannot be handled in cool weather. We usually have them available in April and May or later.

Grass carp are incredibly effective for controlling most aquatic vegetation.

They consume up to 3 times their body weight in vegetation per day and may grow up to 5 pounds per year. In North Carolina only sterile grass carp are allowed. We have found that if you stock 20 grass carp per vegetated acre of pond, you can expect control by the end of the second year. Our customers have been amazed at the effectiveness of the grass carp. They control duckweed, watermeal, moss, submerged weeds, and even eat grass clippings. They may not be effective for controlling pennywort, liliypads, and tough woody vegetation. They are relatively expensive, but are usually the least expensive longterm solution for aquatic weed control. Large fish, over 8 inches long, are usually stocked to prevent them from being eaten by large bass in the pond.

When establishing a new fish population with the smallest, least expensive fish, 1 - 2 inch bream are often stocked in October - November and the bass are stocked the following spring. Stocking the bream early allows them to get large enough to avoid being eaten by the time the bass are stocked. However, with fish this small some mortality will inevitably occur from handling. Furthermore, some baby fish never learn to feed and do not survive. You probably won't know how many survive. Establishing a balance may be difficult.

We recommend that larger fish be stocked. We normally don't sell catfish that are less than 4 inches long. Our bass and bream are at least 2 inches long and unless ordered special, our sterile grass carp are at least 8 inches long. If 2 - 4 inch bream are stocked, they can be added at the same time the 2 - 3 inch bass are stocked. Catfish fingerlings and grass carp are not predators and can also be stocked at the same time. Fathead minnows should also be added to provide instant food for the bass. These larger fish are a better value because they are reasonably inexpensive and you can assume they will all survive. Furthermore, your cost is lower if only one trip is necessary to obtain the fish.

Channel catfish are a bonus in a pond.

They increase the productivity of a pond and do not compete with the other fish. You can put as few as you like or as many as you want as long as they will have adequate food. They can probably be stocked anytime. Channel catfish do not usually reproduce in ponds unless spawning containers are provided.

Ponds less than 1/2 acre in surface area are difficult to keep balanced with bass and bream. Small ponds are much easier to maintain and usually more enjoyable if stocked with only channel catfish. They will grow fast and provide plenty of fun and food with a minimum of work. You can stock about 500 fish per acre if you don't feed them and 1,500 - 2,000 per acre if you do feed them. You may also stock just hybrid bluegill and a few bass if you don't want channel catfish. About 10 largemouth bass per acre will control the limited reproduction by hybrid bluegill and enable the fish to get big faster.

We do not recommend stocking crappie in ponds less than 8 acres in size.

Crappie spawn earlier in the spring than the other fish. When the other fish do spawn, the crappie young are large enough to eat many of the newly spawned bass and bream. Even large crappies have much smaller mouths than bass. They cannot eat medium to large bream. That often contributes to bream overcrowding.

Bream overcrowding is a very common problem in North Carolina ponds. When they become overcrowded and food is limited, bream will pester spawning bass until they leave their nests (beds) and eat the bass eggs. Fewer bass are available to eat small bream and stunting of the bream may occur. This is typical where a pond has a few very large bass but few medium or small bass.

As a general rule, don't return bream you catch back to the pond. (An exception would be the hybrid bream.) You should remove 150 - 175 pounds of bream per acre per year from a balanced productive pond. In contrast, you should only remove 20 - 25 pounds of largemouth bass per acre per year. If bass will be fished for aggressively, release most of them. For trophy bass fishing, consider releasing the largest bass. If the bream are not becoming overcrowded, you can remove most of the bass you catch. Channel catfish are generally considered a bonus harvest. You can harvest as many as you want and then stock more when desired.

Many pond owners enjoy feeding their fish. Pelleted fish feed is eaten by the fish and gradually fertilizes the pond indirectly. Food is usually the first factor limiting productivity in ponds. Catfish, bream, hybrid striped bass, rainbow trout and tilapia all readily accept pelleted feed. If you're feeding by hand, feed the fish all the floating fish food they will eat in 10 minutes. The fish will eat more as the water is warming and less as it is cooling. Begin by feeding the fish in the same place at about the same time each day. Within a few days fish will begin to feed. After a while you will be amazed at how the fish rush up to you as you approach the pond. Believe it or not, they will distinguish you from a stranger. Fish food is not expensive. It is formulated for fish and is much better than bread, dog food or other substitutes. Most feed and seed stores sell fish food. We sell fish feed and feeders which allow the fish to feed on demand. Other feeders and timers operate from batteries (solar chargers are available). We sell a handy electric feeder which uses a light to attract bugs at night. A spinning whip knocks the bugs onto the water surface for the fish to eat.