# minnows for new pond stocking



## CRPPIE PARIDISE

Just built a half acre pond 12 ft deep this past fall it's almost full was wanting to know when can I start putting in flat head minnows to start the forge fish population live in lorain ohio any help on where to purchase and any advice on starting out would be appreciated thanks off members


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## hurricanshawn86

in chardon ohio there is a minnow farm on state Route 608 I don't know the name of his farm but his flat heads are the best he is really easy to find


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## hurricanshawn86

high water fish farm chardon ohio


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## Snakecharmer

Check with your county soil and water dept. I see ads twice a year for Geauga County - they sell minnows, sunfish, amur, and bass.


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## baitguy

go to Cabelas or Fin and Feather or maybe some bait stores or even online and for about $12 you can get yourself a minnow trap and catch all you want for free ... minnows as well as all manner of other fish and crawdads, whatever can swim thru the holes


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## CRPPIE PARIDISE

I can catch shiners in Lake Erie but it but if I have over 500 I need a permit and I really don't want to put minnows in from Lake Erie could have disease or other fish mix in


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## Snakecharmer

CRPPIE PARIDISE said:


> I can catch shiners in Lake Erie but it but if I have over 500 I need a permit and I really don't want to put minnows in from Lake Erie could have disease or other fish mix in


Just looked at the Geauga County soil and Water website.
Fatheads are $7/100
Channels are $.85
LMB are $1.00
Redear Sunfish $.90
Perch $.90
Bluegill/ Sunfish mix $.90
They are also hosting a Pond Clinic March 16 at 6:00 PM


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## beaver

I am a supervisor on my County soil and water conservation board. Trust me when I say, that your local swcd would greatly appreciate the business if they offer that service. We don't do the stocking, but we just finished up our tree sale.


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## Steelhauler

Jones fish farms sells fatheads. They will deliver if you buy enough of them. If not, they have days in the spring where they will deliver to Medina and you can pick them up from there.

Wes


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## supercanoe

CRPPIE PARIDISE said:


> Just built a half acre pond 12 ft deep this past fall it's almost full was wanting to know when can I start putting in flat head minnows to start the forge fish population live in lorain ohio any help on where to purchase and any advice on starting out would be appreciated thanks off members


I am working on plans for a 1/2 acre pond build at my house. Did you do it yourself, or contract it out? What kind of prices did you get on a pond this size?


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## CRPPIE PARIDISE

I had a guy in lorain County he did the work I had to go through a lot had to be designed by engineer that was 2000 then had to get approval from Lorain Soil and water under 1acre don't need a permit from them or epa but I did because I'm also building a home so it is over 1 acre of total disturbance that all cost 300 then my city permit was $25 after all that and I had a guy dig and spread the dirt in Mounds it costs 11500


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## CRPPIE PARIDISE

My brother is an excavator and he would have did it for me but by the time I pay him and rent equipment it would have cost the same


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## CRPPIE PARIDISE

Thanks for all the replys I'm ordering fish and minnows from my County soil & water they have a spring & fall fish sale


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## Snakecharmer

CRPPIE PARIDISE said:


> Thanks for all the replys I'm ordering fish and minnows from my County soil & water they have a spring & fall fish sale


 Glad it worked out for you! 

Set up a go fund me account for OGF members to adopt a bass...In five years we can all come over and have a fish tourney.....


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## hailtothethief

I dumped a bunch of emeralds, fatheads and bluntnose minnows in my pond in the spring. I waded my pond today and there's a big spawn of pinheads all over around the seaweed beds in about 3 feet of water. Cool they naturally produced. Hope they survive the summer months and the long winter. I took a bucket of water out of the pond and its chock full of water fleas so they got plenty to eat.


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## Willyfield

hailtothethief said:


> I dumped a bunch of emeralds, fatheads and bluntnose minnows in my pond in the spring. I waded my pond today and there's a big spawn of pinheads all over around the seaweed beds in about 3 feet of water. Cool they naturally produced. Hope they survive the summer months and the long winter. I took a bucket of water out of the pond and its chock full of water fleas so they got plenty to eat.


Where did you get the bluntnose minnows at? I have a forage pond and would like to try them out and spotfin shiners too. The golden shiner gets a parasite that stops them from reproducing after a couple years.


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## Doboy

supercanoe said:


> I am working on plans for a 1/2 acre pond build at my house. Did you do it yourself, or contract it out? What kind of prices did you get on a pond this size?



When I 'WORKED' for a living,,, I built 4 or 5 ponds N & W of Mosquito,,,,, and some of those borrow-pits along Rt11.
Maybe you cold RENT an excavator, & build it yourself,,,,, IF you have a close place to put all of the fill dirt!
(lol,,, there's dozens of old retired operators out there, that could/ would help ya out!)

#1,,,,, HOW BIG?
do a dirt/ clay/ perc depth test, at least at all 4 corners! Search for rock, sand, clay & water. Aerators? Wind mill, electric, solar pump, waterfalls?
ideas;
http://www.digsdigs.com/53-cool-backyard-pond-design-ideas/
#2,,,, IF you have a small creek, spring, artisan water well, & your thinking of using those sources for feeding/ filling your pond with the water, HAVE THE WATER TESTED FIRST! check for farmer's field run-off? OLD, Near-by septics.
#3,,,, and, if possible, NEVER run a creek, spring straight into your pond. ALWAYS build your pond off to the side. Use a gait to direct the 'tested' creek waters,,,,,, refill/ flush your pond when needed! I'll even suggest a pre-pond/ hole,,,, up-creek. To collect run-off sediments, before it gets into the pond.
#4,,,, Try to incorporate a bottom drain pipe, if possible. 'FLUSH' out the first 2 or 3 year sediments.
Use an over sized dam drain pipe with re-moveable screen or mesh cover, for cleaning,,,,, and maybe build a huge rock/ rip-rap overflow waterway along side.

I've seen quite a few dam BLOW-OUTS, when the pond was built in a natural run-off waterway.
If you like,,,, care,,, I will send you some Google Maps pictures of some ponds that breached, or filled with muck.
You'll easily see why.

I got a million of 'em,,,, just some starting ideas.
Good Luck


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## hailtothethief

Bluntnose i netted. The only species i bought were the fatheads from highwater fish farm out in chardon. I dunno whether the shiners survived or not i havent seen them. They were coming to the shallows in the spring but now that its hot they are staying deep. 

Now its just the fathead and their babies coming to the shallows. I can sit on the bank right over them and they arent scared. Stupid fish.


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## iceman

Doboy...you obviously have a lot of pond expertise and experience..I live in a development that has a retention pond with a large overflow drain that runs underground and flows into a creek...my question is the overflow pipe has probably 2 dozen more holes in it well below and above water line....is there a way that pipe can be replaced or a sleeve place inside so the pond maintains water level... I guess the true purpose of a retention Pond is not necessarily hold water all the time...is it possible that this pipe was used for first 2 or3 years to reduce sediment??


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## Willyfield

hailtothethief said:


> Bluntnose i netted. The only species i bought were the fatheads from highwater fish farm out in chardon. I dunno whether the shiners survived or not i havent seen them. They were coming to the shallows in the spring but now that its hot they are staying deep.
> 
> Now its just the fathead and their babies coming to the shallows. I can sit on the bank right over them and they arent scared. Stupid fish.


Does the place in Chardon just sell fatheads, or do they sell shiners too? I used to be able to catch a couple hundred golden shiners out of my forage pond with my cast net in just a few throws. Now I am doing well if I get 50, but the ones I get are giants!


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## Snakecharmer

Willyfield said:


> Does the place in Chardon just sell fatheads, or do they sell shiners too? I used to be able to catch a couple hundred golden shiners out of my forage pond with my cast net in just a few throws. Now I am doing well if I get 50, but the ones I get are giants!


No shiners listed at any of the Ohio Fish Farms
http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/fish management/pub196.pdf


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## hailtothethief

Butch at highwater sells shiners but im sure hes sold out by now.


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## Doboy

iceman said:


> Doboy...you obviously have a lot of pond expertise and experience..I live in a development that has a retention pond with a large overflow drain that runs underground and flows into a creek...my question is the overflow pipe has probably 2 dozen more holes in it well below and above water line....is there a way that pipe can be replaced or a sleeve place inside so the pond maintains water level... I guess the true purpose of a retention Pond is not necessarily hold water all the time...is it possible that this pipe was used for first 2 or3 years to reduce sediment??



PM sent


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## Steelhauler

Jones Fish Farms sells Golden Shiners


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## Willyfield

Steelhauler said:


> Jones Fish Farms sells Golden Shiners


Yes, I get mine from there. I want to raise spotfins or another form of shiner in my forage pond. Goldens stop reproducing after a couple of years due to a parasite.


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## Willyfield

hailtothethief said:


> Butch at highwater sells shiners but im sure hes sold out by now.


Are those golden shiners he sells?


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## hailtothethief

I imagine. If he raises emeralds he must have a pretty deep pond. Lol


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## Willyfield

hailtothethief said:


> I imagine. If he raises emeralds he must have a pretty deep pond. Lol


Could be spotfins, or satinfins (shiners). That is what I would like to find for my pond.


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## hailtothethief

hailtothethief said:


> Bluntnose i netted. The only species i bought were the fatheads from highwater fish farm out in chardon. I dunno whether the shiners survived or not i havent seen them. They were coming to the shallows in the spring but now that its hot they are staying deep.
> 
> Now its just the fathead and their babies coming to the shallows. I can sit on the bank right over them and they arent scared. Stupid fish.


I put some traps in my pond. I found the fatheads on the south side of the pond on the clay bottom in about 4 inches to 1 feet of water. 

The erie shiners i caught on the north side. 

The fat heads and shiners must hate eachother. They each have their own territory.lol

the inch bluegill intermix with both fatheads and shiners in the traps. 


Glad the shiners survived. Didnt see them all summer. Figured they died in the heat.

I added a couple hundred crayfish this fall. They are hiding in the leaves under the willow tree.See if they survive the winter.


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## hailtothethief

I was lookin at my pond today. Saw some fat pregnant fatheads. Must not of dropped their eggs yet. Look like they are ready to explode. Bluegill are hanging out around the banks. Occasionally i hear a splash, must be them ambushing something. Glad they survived the winter. Havent seen any crayfish but i imagine they mAde it, crayfish are tough.


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## RiparianRanger

The neighbor kids have been tossing creek chubs in my pond to try and feed the bass. Anyone have any idea if creek chubs will reproduce in a pond or do they require flowing water?


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## buckeyebowman

hailtothethief said:


> I dumped a bunch of emeralds, fatheads and bluntnose minnows in my pond in the spring. I waded my pond today and there's a big spawn of pinheads all over around the seaweed beds in about 3 feet of water. Cool they naturally produced. Hope they survive the summer months and the long winter. I took a bucket of water out of the pond and its chock full of water fleas so they got plenty to eat.


This brings a question to my mind, and I honestly don't know the answer. The post references "seaweed" beds. The OP said his pond was brand new, so I imagine there's no aquatic plant life established yet. Would that be necessary to enhance the survival of the minnows?

I understand he won't stock predators yet, but would it help with oxygen levels if he doesn't have an aerator?


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## fishingful

I have a watermeal and filimous alge problem. I have taken out 400 4 to 5 inch gills in the last year. Took them to the wildlife center to feed the eagle. Crappie may be 5 inches as well. Most of the bass in my big pond ate 8 inches I did catch a 15 in.

Have 2 amers that I got from geauga soil and water that grew 6 inches this year. High water is 6 miles from the house and going to put some fatheads in the spring. I seem to have enough gills for the larger bass to eat. And I know the gills are spawning but most of my bass are small. This pond has been unmanaged scince at least 1992. The 2 smaller shallower ponds I have are overflowing with 2 to 3 inch gills and 3 to 4 inch crappie.

I have 3 ponds total over 1.25 million gallons on 2.8 acres.


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## Muddy

buckeyebowman said:


> This brings a question to my mind, and I honestly don't know the answer. The post references "seaweed" beds. The OP said his pond was brand new, so I imagine there's no aquatic plant life established yet. Would that be necessary to enhance the survival of the minnows?
> 
> I understand he won't stock predators yet, but would it help with oxygen levels if he doesn't have an aerator?


I put fatheads in my new pond this summer, and they spawned like crazy all summer. There is no plant growth, but I did put in pallet structures for them to spawn on.


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## CRPPIE PARIDISE

I stocked my new 1/2 acre pond fall of 2017 I put 20lbs flat heads 150 gill 75hybr.gills 50 bass all 2-4in. AND I FEED PELLETS once a day this fall bass are8-10 in all gills 6-9in.and I also stocked 30 perch 4-6 in they are now 8-10 in I just put 15 more pounds minnows in I do have man made structure and pond is 10 feet deep minnows spawned but the bass and perch feasted well I do have a co.that maintenance the pond but no oxygen and everything is doing amazing


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## Morrowtucky Mike

baitguy said:


> go to Cabelas or Fin and Feather or maybe some bait stores or even online and for about $12 you can get yourself a minnow trap and catch all you want for free ... minnows as well as all manner of other fish and crawdads, whatever can swim thru the holes


Best way to end up with a bunch of trash fish in a pond.


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## buckhunter7

Guys, What about stocking white suckers as a bait fish in ponds? Has anyone had luck with them spawning in a pond?


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## Muddy

I don't think that they would reproduce in a pond.


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## buckhunter7

Muddy said:


> I don't think that they would reproduce in a pond.


I wonder if they could be "tricked" with a bit of gravel and moving water ?


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## Muddy

I wouldn't bother, just use fatheads. Fatheads reproduce and grow so well in Ohio ponds that there really isn't a reason to spend time and money on trying to make something else work.


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