Okay so I have a friend here in Colorado who I met last year. He owns a nice little 50 acre pond that's been stocked with Largemouth, Smallmouth, Walleye, Wiper, Bluegill, Croppy, and Perch. He said he's stocked it a bunch of times over the years but not for a few years. He said he's caught fish in there the past few years ranging from 6 inches up to 22 inches so that's good for the year classes I think.

Assuming the lake is healthy, What's the best way to stock it the next few years in terms of the ratio of bait fish to game fish?

Should he stock largemouth this year, and bait fish next year? Both in the same year? Only bass for 3 years and bait fish the 4th year? What's best?

I want to turn his pond into an amazing place to land LUNKERS. I'll always continue to fish public waters in search of a state record, but it sure would be nice to be able to hit his pond in a few years and catch a few 8 pounders.

Big bass is a simple equasion. Good genetics(florida strain) lots of food and different varieties. Low competition. these rae the basics as there are other factors to. The only way I would stock more bass is if the one he has are northern strain. Then I would stack some florida strain. I would catch and eat all the small bass I could. If you can see them spawning then thats the best time. Catch all the males and eat them. On 50 acres you will never whipe them out. Make a size limit. Example any fish over 2o inches gets put back. Kill and eat as many other fish that are competing for food. Eat the crappie and walley and make a size limit for the smallies. You will not make much of a dent by yourself but if you get a few guys to help you can improve the size of the bass in the lake. 50 acres aint no pond! Man I would love to own it. If I were to stock it, I would stock threadfin, gizzard, bluegill, green sunfish, minnows and crawfish.Maybe put in a couple feeders for the prey species.

Also look through the articles on this site. There are some excelent articles on pond management

Only take out most of the small bass if your pond are FULL of largemouth. If the LMB's population is healthy, i would leave them alone and take out other predators like walleye, perch, wiper. but leave the panfish because they r food for big bass. If the fish are all medium sized, i would add alot of shad, alot of crayfish, alot of baitfish.

We have two resident biologist, Bob Lusk Fisheries biologist TPWD/author Raising Trophy Bass & Todd Driscoll M.S., Fisheries Mgmt., B.S., Fisheries Biology TPWD Fish Hatchery, District Fisheries Biologist

I tend to agree with "Mattlures". I "manage" a couple of ponds and since I have started taking every small fish out the fish are getting bigger. Small fish are more aggressive and can definitely hurt a pond as far as eating up a lot of food. I set a pseudo slot limit on my ponds at 16 inches and in 2 years have noticed a considerable difference.

We have two resident biologist, Bob Lusk Fisheries biologist TPWD/author Raising Trophy Bass & Todd Driscoll M.S., Fisheries Mgmt., B.S., Fisheries Biology TPWD Fish Hatchery, District Fisheries Biologist

I'd love to chat with either one of them or both, but figured they'd be way to busy to want to deal with lil ole me.

Bob and Todd, if you read this and don't mind a PM from me, please let me know. Turning a good fishery into a relative "world class" fishery would be a dream come true for me.

A couple links for you...

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/raising_trophy_bass.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/trophy_bass_prey.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/lunker_largemouth.html

I think that Mattlures has the right idea, except that a couple of the species he mentioned aren't going to make it in Colorado.

Yes, you'll have to cull predators, and it is going to take a while. Just dumping in a bunch of forage fish adds up to nothing but a quick snack. (I know I've done it).

Go to www.pondboss.com and read and ask questions in the discussion forum. Pond Boss is the magazine published by the aforementioned Bob Lusk.

FLMB strain are limited to 45 degree or warmer water. When the FLMB popularity exploded in California back in the early 70's, the bass were planted in lakes across the state. The lakes that froze over or had core water less than 45 degrees, the FLMB didn't survive.

Ray Scott also makes a living at small lake/pond mamagement for trophy LMB.

The book Sow Belly has a chapture on folks trying to raise giant trophy size LMB, none have been successful to date that I know of. The state of Texas has the best program; Share A Lunker. California doesn't have a trophy bass management program outside of local clubs transplanting FLMB finger lings occasionally. Consider hundreds of lakes in California have tried to establish trophy size bass, less than 10% succeeded.

Tom

PS; Colorado state LMB record is 11 lbs 6 oz.

Check pondboss.com I think that site and this site are affiliated.

FLMB strain are limited to 45 degree or warmer water. When the FLMB popularity exploded in California back in the early 70's, the bass were planted in lakes across the state. The lakes that froze over or had core water less than 45 degrees, the FLMB didn't survive.

Ray Scott also makes a living at small lake/pond mamagement for trophy LMB.

PS; Colorado state LMB record is 11 lbs 6 oz

Yep, not even thinking about FLMB, impossible here once November rolls around. Sometimes over the past 5 years, I wake up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat, chanting 11.6, 11.6 11.6 over and over again. I know that number like I know my own birthday.

I just found a photo of a 13 pound bass caught in a private pond here on the front range. 13 pounds!!!!!! I know many people believe catching a 13 pound bass in a private pond doesnt equal doing it in a natural lake or pond, but frankly I couldn't care less. Pulling in a 10+ ANYWHERE in Colorado would be an incredible experience. When a 10+ NLMB is on my line and we're fighting each other like mad, I'm not gunna be thinking "Well shoot, this is lame because I'm on a private lake" I probably wouldn't take it in to get the State Record either but that's neither here nor there.

LOOK AT THIS COLORADO PIG! Like me, he won't even bring it in to be looked at for a state record.