# Yellow Perch in Ponds



## General

I have about an acre size pond. When completely full it is 18-21 feet deep. The lowest it has got since it was built in 2000 was like 12-14 FOW. I was wondering what you would think of putting yellow perch in this spring. The bass population is pretty strong and there are quite a few tanks. Do you think the perch would ever last or just be eaten right away? 

Thanks for the help.....Kurt


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## Salmonid

all depends, are you looking for a reproducing population so youll have more food for the bass or food for you?? lots of quesions to be asked here but here are a few to start with, how healthy is the bass population, what do the bass eat? how about other species, how are they doing? is there hiding and spawning habitat for the perch, they need places to drape egg sacks. I have YP in my 3/4 acre pond that is 12 ft deep and they are doing fine but in there 3rd year, I still havent seen any Young of the year so I don tthink they are spawning??? Not sure why not yet, thats what my problem is but they are all 9-11" and chunky so they are doing well!

Salmonid


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## beemoth

If you put fingerlings in you'd have to go with a high number of them 
( 300-400)
so that what got eaten by the bass would leave you some to grow and if you can get to year 2 .....the perch should be able to spawn. Year 3 for sure theyd be ready to seed your pond.

If you don't want to buy that many fingerlings then try to stock some adult perch NOW if you can because they'll be spawning when the ice goes off.
This way you get a hatch right away ---

Since you have a deep water pond I'd be willing to say you'd have a good chance of keeping a population of perch even though you have "tank" bass


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## General

Thanks Salmonid and beemoth We have about 4 old christmas trees sank in a group and i'm probably going to put some pallets together and sink them in the deepest part. You guys dont happen to know where i might be able to find some adults to put in there?.....Kurt


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## Salmonid

I got mine from ATAC ( sponsor here on the pond forum) and also Jones has them ( adults) but both are here in SW Ohio, where are you located and I bet we could find you some. I think both places offer a reasonable distance for delivery if you can wait until they are in your area, I do know YP are usually stocked before mid June when the water starts to get to warm for transport. ( or late fall) 

Salmonid


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## [email protected]

Salmonid and Beemoth are on the money. You will either stock a lot of fingerlings (300-400/acre) assuming some mortality or adult fish (up to 100/acre) that are too large to be readily consumed. Perch will do fine and should be reproducing by age 3; Salmonid your crappie and lmb are probably feeding on your offspring but as the perch population ages you will get increased recruitment. I've had one year old perch spawn in our tanks, albeit small fragmented ribbons. Generally 3 to 6 year old perch are in the prime of their reproductive lives. Perch will do great in your pond and if you get them from a reputable dealer they will be trained to take artificial feed, giving you another option to increase growth rates. As Salmonid says, you will need structure (artificial or Christmas trees) for spawning habitat and cover. In a pond with significant structure perch are very prolific and can add a source of forage for lmb. Contact us at ATAC and we can give you a quote for stocking; if you have not seen the post we are having a sale for OGF members until the end of April.


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## [email protected]

I have a friend near Plain City who stocked several hundred fingerlings in his pond with bass and never saw them. I wouldn't consider any other options than stocking adults or building cages and growing them out yourself. Getting feed trained perch will be key to getting good growth.

Salmonoid doesn't have any largemouth bass. It will be interesting to see how the perch do with hybrid stripers, crappie, cats, and gills. 

I had a perch spawn last year but haven't caught any or seen any on the aquavu while ice fishing. http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=127256


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## Salmonid

Its very possible, thats why I havent seen any YOY.....becuase everything else is eating them. This year I am drastically culling a whole bunch of 3-4 lb channel cats so thats gonna help, those guys are eating machines!!! 
Later this year Ill be allowing some folks to come over and have there kids catch some cats, just have to keep all they catch....

Salmonid


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## rdsnider

Hi, I'm new to posting so hope all goes well with this.

I have about a 3/4 acre pond in Allen Co. which I had re-dug about 4 years age. I waited a year to restock it with Bluegills and Yellow Perch, no large predator fish. I do have some former evergreens at differant locations. So far I seen a good number of minnows, which I also stock a good number of fat head minnows at the same time and they are doing well also.

I caught hand sized fish the first winter after stocking, am amazed at how fast they grow. Perch I have only caught thru the ice in winter so far, will try a little harder this summer out of a boat to see if the perch ore doing good with no one around to eat them but themselves and the diving ducks that come in the spring.

The pond is near 10 to 12 ft deep.

Have a good season all


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## [email protected]

rdsnider, did you stock standard or hybrid bluegills? How many of each species did you stock?


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## warden

I stocked 40 7-9 inch yp in my sons pond last fall. Doing great so far. They spawned this spring! Bass will most likely take most of the young. In another pond I stocked over one hundred hybrid bg, 3-4 inches long, they are now up to 8 inches. This is with only being fed twice a week. They were stocked 18 months ago, same feeding pattern,with no bass. thanks Lucas!


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## Rod Hawg

Good idea about the pallets. We have Perch and they are jumbos. 11-14in. Yet we have a few little ones but they generally get eatin by the Bass and Catfish. Our pond is 3 acres and averages 6ft. but gets to be 13ft. The Perch generally spawn off of gravel plots and sand. At least from what I've seen.


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## hang_loose

General said:


> Thanks Salmonid and beemoth We have about 4 old christmas trees sank in a group and i'm probably going to put some pallets together and sink them in the deepest part. You guys dont happen to know where i might be able to find some adults to put in there?.....Kurt


General, Unless you have aeration in that deep (16-20 ft) of a pond, I don't think sinking pallets in that area will do much good. I'd put them 5ft and up to where you could see them just below the surface. I've watched my bass chase minnows clear onto the bank trying to catch some. But a few pine trees and some pallets in the shallows gives the fry some place to hide from predators.


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