Accelerated Stocking Program

Species	Length	1/2 Acre	3/4 Acre	1 Acre
Fathead Minnow	1" - 3"	20 lb	30 lb	40 lb
Golden Shiner	3" - 6"	10 lb	15 lb	20 lb
Largemouth Bass	5" - 7"	100	150	200
Bluegill	4" - 6"	150	225	300
Hybrid Bluegill	4" - 6"	100	150	200
Channel Catfish	5" - 9"	50	75	100
White Amur	10" - 12"	4	6	8
Redear Sunfish	3" - 5"	100	150	200
-	Total Price	$1149.99	$1729.99	$2299.99

Bluegill

The bluegill can be found in abundance in many Midwestern waters. It can be caught easily and is excellent tablefare. It’s commonly found around structures such as brush piles and weed beds, where it feeds almost exclusively on insects. It will readily take to a commercial fish food, which will enhance growth rates. Bluegill can be distinguished from other sunfish by the pres-ence of a small mouth, long, pointed pectoral fins, and a dark spot on the dorsal fin. Bluegill begin to spawn in late spring and continue throughout the summer. The prolific reproductive habits of the bluegill make it the primary forage fish for predators such as the largemouth bass and the hybrid striped bass. One-year-old fish range in size from 1 to 4 inches and become sexually mature at 4 to 5 inches.

Hybrid Bluegill

The hybrid bluegill, a cross between a green sunfish and a bluegill, is a fish that is stronger and grows faster than the regular bluegill. As a result of hybridization, 90 percent of the fish are males, reducing the chance of an overpopulation problem. This fish has the habits of the normal bluegill, but is more aggressive and more readily accepts commercial fish food. The hybrid bluegill can be distinguished from regular bluegill by a yellow margin along the pelvic and anal fins. It also has a larger mouth than a bluegill sunfish. The spawning habits of the hybrid bluegill are similar to that of the regular bluegill, but the number of fry produced is not as high. Therefore, it is recommended that the hybrid bluegill be stocked at a 1:2 ratio along with regular bluegill to maintain a sufficient forage base. One-year-old fish range in size from 3 to 8 inches or more. They become sexually mature at 4 to 5 inches.

Redear Sunfish

The redear sunfish is very similar to the bluegill. It is a member of the sunfish family and behaves accordingly. It is found around structures where it feeds almost exclusively on mollusks, hence its nickname “shellcracker.” The redear is known to be fast growing and hard fighting. It can be distinguished from the bluegill by a conspicuous red spot on the gill covering. It can be stocked in conjunction with bluegill to maintain a proper forage base. Spawning begins in late spring and may continue into summer. One-year-old fish may range from 1 to 4 inches. Redear become sexually mature at 4 to 6 inches.

Blue Catfish

The spawning behavior of blue catfish appears to be similar to that of channel catfish. However, most blue catfish are not sexually mature until they reach about 24 inches in length. Like channel catfish, the blue catfish pursues a varied diet, but it tends to eat fish earlier in life. Although invertebrates still comprise the major portion of the diet, blue catfish as small as four inches in length have been known to consume fish. Individuals larger than eight inches eat fish and large invertebrates. Blue catfish commonly attain weights of 20 to 40 pounds, and may reach weights well in excess of 100 pounds. It is reported that fish exceeding 350 pounds were landed from the Mississippi River during the late 1800's.

Channel Catfish

The channel catfish is most commonly found around the bottom of a lake or pond. It is a scavenger and will eat just about anything it can find. It will eat live fish, although it is not consid-ered to be a predator. It generally has little effect on the predator/prey roles except where exceptionally large fish are found. It will take to commercial fish food and has tremendous growth potential. The channel catfish is growing in popularity among sport fishermen due to its large size, hard fighting ability, and its tasty flesh. The channel catfish can be distinguished from other catfish by the presence of dark spots on its body and a deeply forked tail. Channel catfish do not generally reproduce in ponds due to the absence of an adequate spawning structure. A suitable structure can be added by placing buckets or drain tile in depths of 3 to 4 feet of water along the pond bottom. One-year-old fish may range in size from 3 to 8 inches. Channel catfish usually become sexually mature when they reach at least 11 inches.

Flathead Catfish

The flathead, also called the "mud cat" or "yellow cat". Its name aptly describes its anatomy, which also includes a dark back and brownish mottled sides and a broad, slightly notched tail. Commercial fishermen have reported fish larger than 100 pounds. The flathead catfish spawns in summer when the water reaches 72 to 75 degrees. It nests in cavities, such as hollow logs, root wads or log jams in quiet water. After spawning, the male drives the female from the nest - violently if necessary. The male guards the eggs and fans water over them until they hatch and may tend the swarm of young until they disperse.

Largemouth Bass

The largemouth bass is considered to be one of the most prized gamefish in North America. It will readily take many types of live and artificial baits. Although there are many species of bass, the largemouth bass is best suited for the temperate waters of the Midwest. Bass are usually found around structures such as brush piles and weed beds. It has a widely varied diet that emphasizes on bluegill, minnows and other small fish. Its predatory nature helps to keep bluegill from overpopulating. The largemouth bass is similar to the spotted bass and small-mouth bass. It can be distinguished by the deep curvature of its dorsal fin. Bass spawn in depths of 2 to 4 feet of water at temperatures near 62 degrees. One-year-old fish range in size from 3 to 7 inches. Bass become sexually mature at 10 to 12 inches and may weigh 7 ounces to 1 pound.

Black Crappie

Black crappie closely resemble white crappie, but have deeper bodies. Furthermore, their head, back, and sides are mottled with dusky or black blotches. These blotches do not form vertical bars as on white crappie. The most reliable characteristic, however, is that black crappie have seven or eight dorsal spines compared to the five or six of a white crappie. The dorsal fin is also set further forward on the body of a black crappie than it is on a white crappie. Black crappie spawn during May and June in Ohio. Males construct a nest by fanning out small depressions on the bottom in and around brush, rocks, or vegetation in water between one and five feet deep. Females then lay 5,000 to 30,000 eggs in the nest. After hatching, crappie feed on zooplankton and insect larvae. As they grow, crappie switch primarily to a diet of small fish. Adult Size: Typically 5-12 inches, can reach 18 inches. Ususally weighs up to about 1 lb but can occasionally exceed 3 lbs.

Fathead Minnow

The fathead minnow is found throughout the Midwest. Its small size and abundant reproduction makes it an excellent forage fish. The fathead minnow will spawn throughout spring and early summer. Reproduction can be aided with the use of sunken ever-green trees or stacked pallets. The rapid rate of reproduction of this species makes it an excellent choice for stocking where pred-atory fish are present. One-year-old fish range in size from 0.5 inch to 3 inches. They become sexually mature at 1 to 3 inches and seldom exceed 3 inches.

Golden Shiner

The golden shiner can be found throughout most of the Midwest. Much like the fathead minnow, the golden shiner exhibits abundant reproduction. Unfortunately this species is slightly less tolerant of extreme environmental conditions. These fish can be found in large schools around submerged structures where they primarily feed on zooplankton. The golden shiner spawns several times throughout spring and summer. Spawning can be aided with the use of structures such as sunken evergreens or stacked pallets. The abundant reproduction of this fish makes it an excellent choice for stock-ing where predatory species are present. These fish are slightly larger than fathead minnows and are preferred by large predators.

Common Carp

Common carp is in the family Cyprinidae (minnow and carp family). Cyprinus carpio is easily identified by two pairs of barbells on each side of the upper jaw. These bronze, brassy or yellow fish have serrated dorsal and anal fin spines. Common carp is one of the largest members of the minnow family. Most of these heavy bodied fish are from 1 to 10 pounds and 12-25 inches in length, but can grow up to 80 lbs. There are many varieties of common carp found throughout the world. Carp that are partially scaled along their sides are called mirror carp. Some common carp have few to no scales and are termed leather carp. Koi is a fancy breed of the common carp that are popular in small ponds and water gardens. While many people believe that the goldfish is a young carp, goldfish and common carp are actually two distinct species.

White Amur Grass Carp

The white amur, a vegetarian, is a natural alternative for aquatic weed control. In many situations, stocking white amur is more cost effective than chemical applications. The amur is a native of China and has been used for more than 700 years to control excessive aquatic weed growth. Grass carp should not be confused with common carp (Cyprinus carpio). The white amur has a silvery green body and no barbels, whereas the common carp is golden yellow and has barbels. Special precautions should be used when stocking amur. Overflow drain pipes should be protected with bar guards and the use of copper based chemicals should be limited. Since the white amur is sterile and does not feed as heavily after reaching maturity, 20 percent of the original stocking should be added annually to renew the original population over a 5–year period. Stocking rates for white amur are determined by the amount and type of vegetation present in your pond. Typically, 8 to 30 fish per acre are stocked. The white amur may eat up to three times its body weight per day. One-year-old grass carp are approximately 12 inches in length and adults may weigh 35 pounds or more.

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