Gary W.

In Florida, the key to fast growth is an abundant bait food chain. In the panhandle, I recently stocked a 1/2 acre pond with 1,000 Bluegill, 100 Redear, 1,000 Fathead minnows, some Golden Shiners, and it already a gazillion Gambusia minnows naturally. After 3 or 4 months, I stocked 20 Florida LM Bass. (Not Hybrids, just Florida Bass). I fed the natural Gambusia minnows before stocking. I fed bait fish after stocking. In 7 months I have Bluegill > 7 inches. I caught my first 3 bass this week. They were stocked 4 months ago as 2-4 inch fingerlings. They were all 14 inches (1 1/2 lbs.). The key is the abundant bait fish and feeding the baitfish. I hear Bass hitting baitfish all day long. It is constant. It is such a small pond. We are not supposed to be able to do this as well as we have. I can't wait to see them in another year. Next summer we will start taking out large Bluegills and Redears. The next year, the issue will be overpopulation of Bass, so we will start aggressively harvesting any Bass under 2 lbs. Those over 2 lbs. are likely females and will be left to get bigger. Under 2 lbs. likely males and need to go away. Throughout, feed and aeration is the key along with huge baitfish populations. In the heat of the summer, I fed $100/month. Slowing down a lot in the fall. 11/16/2021