Do you want Big Fish?

Have you ever wondered how fish get in ponds in the first place? Well, one way is by people putting them in there on purpose! The practice is called fish stocking, and it involves raising fish in a controlled area like a hatchery to release into various waterways such as rivers, lakes, and ponds.

Fish stocking helps:

• Improve fishing populations
• Increase recreational activity
• Keep bodies of water environmentally balanced
• Maintain weed problems
• Reduce specific insect larvae

 One of the top predators in the natural ecosystem, the largemouth bass is also one of the most popular game fish in North America. Bass prefer the warm, quiet, and calm water found in lakes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, and streams, but can adapt well to other conditions. They hide in vegetation, between rocks, or under sunken debris such as tree roots and limbs, striking their unsuspecting prey as they swim by. 

 While native to eastern North America, bluegills inhabit nearly every pond, lake, and other bodies of quiet water throughout the country. Bluegills bite year-round, making them an easy fish to catch. 

This diverse group of fish lives in several conditions including saltwater, freshwater, and brackish water. They love to eat and will travel wherever they can to find food. In the ecosystem, catfish can be either predators or prey. To reduce stress to the fish the best time to stock is during the spring or fall when temperatures are mild, and oxygen levels are high. 

Tilapias are great fish to use for fish stocking because they reproduce quickly, tolerate a variety of aquaculture environments, and eat diets consisting of aquatic invertebrates and aquatic vegetation. Tilapias also consume a substantial amount of natural materials such as algae, plankton, and detritus. 

Fathead minnows are omnivores that are categorized as Benthic filter feeders, sifting through dirt and silt to find food. The carnivores portion of their diet is made up of mainly insects, crustaceans, other aquatic invertebrates, and zooplankton. The herbivorous portion of their diet is primarily made up of algae and phytoplankton. Fathead minnows will also feed on bottom detritus.

Fathead minnows are a largely preyed upon fish that is eaten by mainly piscivorous fish such as Largemouth Bass, Perch, Crappie, and various other types of fish.