- 1). Take the temperature of your pond or lake water. In most moderate climates, you'll want to stock in either spring or fall. Water temperatures exceeding 75 degrees can cause higher fish mortality.
- 2). Visit a local hatchery to choose a balance of predator and prey fish for your pond or lake community. Largemouth bass are an example of a predator fish that eat microscopic animals when young, and then move to smaller fish and crayfish. Bluegill and minnows would be examples of prey fish. They reproduce quickly and mostly eat insects and fish eggs.
- 3). Consider fish that will contribute to the health of the pond or lake plant life. Grass carp, for instance, can control submerged vegetation problems. If the pond or lake does not have at least 20 percent vegetation coverage, you may want to skip this step, because it will be difficult for the fish to survive.
- 4). Stock with the right quantity. Fish used for prey should be stocked in much higher numbers than predator fish. For example, if you are stocking a new pond or lake, you may want to add 100 largemouth bass fingerlings per acre, 500 bluegill fingerlings per acre, and 1,000 fathead minnows per acre.
- 5). Test the temperature of the water used in the hauling tank before the fish are loaded in. The temperature should differ no more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit from your pond or lake water. Check the temperature again in the tank before pouring the new fish into the pond or lake. More than a 5-degree difference in temperature can shock or even kill the fish. If the temperature is off more than 5 degrees, add pond or lake water to the tank slowly, so there is no more than a 2-degree change every hour before pouring in the fish.
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