Adding/Stocking new species in a gravel pit

[Beats]

In regards to my post about fishing a local gravel pit/pond I was contemplating the possibility of introducing some trout of sorts to the water in the spring time. This is just a thought at the moment and nothing is at all for certain. Obviously introducing a new species to a small body of water would require alot of planning due to the amount of damage it could quite possibly due to the original species in there. As I stated in the post from a day or 2 ago, the water has lm bass, white crappie, and supposedly some pike. Though no one I have talked to has seen/caught a pike in there. A neighbour told my dad that someone had diverted a stream (very small creek) nearby to run into and out of the pit but so far we haven't found any evidence of this yet... unless they dug some culverts under the ground or something. Possibly the creek only gets there if the water is severely higher than standard levels. So we were wondering about what a good species would be to introduce to the pond. My dad was leaning towards some rainbow trout just for the fishing aspect. I think he was more or less thinking of adding a few dozen larger fish and try to let them reproduce naturally rather than throw in 500 tiny ones that the bass could pick off and would probably be gone in a few years. The pit hasn't been touched in decades and has quite a bit of weed growth and algae in it as well as structure fallen in from trees and bushes around the pond and a beaver lodge that is surrounded by random branches as well.

 

I'm sure alot of people will advise against adding a new species, I'm just throwing it out there wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to a species or 2 that may do well in this environment. Especially a species that has a fair shot at surviving and reproducing on its own. Rainbows, Specks, Sunfish are what I've been kind of thinking of as options. It would be cool to have some pickerel (small ones obviously) in there but I'm thinking they wouldn't do too well in this small of a body of water. Also, does anyone know of places (farms or gov't) that will sell fish for this reason? I'd rather a small number of adult fish than a pile of tiny ones just so that they don't get eaten right away and can hopefully spawn. Also, how do they charge for fish like this? I was told once that places start to charge alot more for rainbows once they hit something like 9". Again, this is just something I've been thinking about and I am hoping for some feedback. Don't worry, I'm not about to start throwing new fish in all over the place uninformed.

[fishindevil]

Well mim not 100% sure but i dont think that rainbow trout would reproduce in a gravel pit pond...maybe im wrong but ....my uncle does have one of those big ponds and out of all the fish the rainbow trout has done the best....there is also crappies[black] he had bass in there but they died...as for the trout its put and take every 5 years i think he puts more fish in there...the trout survive on insects,crustations and monnows,they are pretty hardy he says,and they are fun to catch,so is the crappies he has added brush,cover,and floating docks and stuff for shade and food sources...i dont know if you have to make sure that they cannot get out,and invade a stream or things like that ...im going to track this thread i have always wanted to do this as well...good-luck

[steve_paul]

Beats, my friend purchased some land here in St. Thomas that used to be gravel pits and had the MNR come out and take a look. I would call the office in Aylmer, explain your situation and see if they had someone they could send out to take a look. I know he received quite a bit of info from them as he is planning the same thing.

[Ron]

You might be better off to ask your area MNR office. Firstly there will be a lot of paper work involved to receive the permits for it.

[Beats]

Fishindevil, the bass have been in there for atleast 15 years and done just fine on their own. Perhaps the white crappie were always in there as well, I just don't know. I know a lot of pits get stocked with a 1000 small rainbows or so and that they are usually put in as a put and take kind of thing. My intention wouldn't be to eat them, just to have them for fishing after work and on weekends kind of thing. Definately some would get eaten but that wouldn't be the reason for putting them in there. The crappies in there are fun to catch but they all seem to be extremely tiny which makes me think they are the primary food source for the bass.

[outdoorguy61]

I have only seen one example of a small quarry (Salmon River in E. Ont.), where high water allowed the rainbows to escape....accrding to local fishing lore. If it can be affect a local body of water, you "might" have a problem in introducing a non native species. Just a thought, having been involved to a small degree with a few legal stockings.

 

If you have bass, I imagine that there is a good possibility that your pond is shallow and warm. This might make the possibility of rainbows a poor investment. You might want to have the water tested in the summer for both temperature and oxygen levels/PH to get some idea about what may or may not be possible. With the other species present, could walleye be a safe...and tastey bet?

 

Ponds are fun. I wish you and your father well with it. There are a few places that can stock ponds and arrange permits, etc.

 

outdoorguy61

Edited November 6, 2007 by outdoorguy61

[steve_paul]

Beats, just a thought too, contact the Kettle Creek Conservation Authority - they stock Springwater Pond every spring with Rainbow and may be able to give you some direction.

 

Couple of other places to try around here for more info on purchasing fish for stocking once you receive MNR blessing, there is a Trout and Salmon Hatchery in Port Stanley - don't know the name as well as maybe calling Pleasant Valley Trout Farm in St. Thomas.

[Gerritt]

you mean St. Thomas is known for something other the "The Robert's Brothers" and "the Elephant" (Name escapes me right now... been a few years)

 

Boy... Did them boys like to fight... I have a great story to tell you one day over a pint... How I kicked the younger ones arse (he attacked me..) and then proceeded to enjoy a beating by the older brother....LOL...Beer bottle cracked over the skull can do that to a guy...

 

LOL!

 

Good times on Talbot St!

 

Gerritt.

[Beats]

you mean St. Thomas is known for something other the "The Robert's Brothers" and "the Elephant" (Name escapes me right now... been a few years)

 

Boy... Did them boys like to fight... I have a great story to tell you one day over a pint... How I kicked the younger ones arse (he attacked me..) and then proceeded to enjoy a beating by the older brother....LOL...Beer bottle cracked over the skull can do that to a guy...

 

LOL!

 

Good times on Talbot St!

 

Gerritt.

 

 

 

 

Lol, that was possibly the most random reply to a post ever. Not off topic at all. Thanks I guess. Possibly would have gone better as a PM.

[OhioFisherman]

We have some sand and gravel pits, sandstone and limestone quarries in this area. All seem to have fish in them, bass and panfish. Just my guess someone put them in there.

 

My experience is crappie have a tough time growing in them, most seem to be stunted, not enough food-too much competition for it. Most of the ones I have fished could use a good stocking of bait fish, of a type that would grow large enough for all but the biggest of some species to eat them, like golden shiners. Just ensures a breeding population of bait fish.

 

Bass or good sized catfish can help reduce the number of stunted fish, Bluegill-sunfish seem to have trouble with stunting also, just breed too quickly and over populate.

 

Never caught a trout in a quarry here, some seem deep enough(40+feet) to hold them, not a ready supply near by for people to throw them in? Bass can and will eat small trout, throwing small ones in might not be worth the effort, get them 8-12 inches at least.

 

The fish in some of the quarries have seemed really spooky, some have some serious drops from the walls to the water 20-30 feet or more. In some I have had much better success using live bait over lures, no real good explanation for it. In some it takes a big chub or shiner to discourage the smaller bass from attempting to eat it.

 

Some of the ones here seem to have a pretty sterile enviroment, not much on shore, to much rock, too deep at the shoreline to hard a bottom for weed beds to grow. But some big shapes in the water lurking, and spooky about foreign objects entering the water.

[Beats]

I've been planning on putting a minnow trap in the creek beside the pit to trap some minnows on the weekend. Not to fish with but just to see what kinds of minnows are in there. Theres a little bridge over the creek and if you stand there and look down you can see really small minnows darting around. I agree that it would probably be a great idea to get a small species of minnow going in the pit that all species of fish can eat and live off of. Perhaps they are already there, I really don't know. A neighbour told us that he has seen atleast one brown trout in the creek a few years back that was about 12" long, so perhaps there are a few trout hanging around in the area. I really need to wait til spring when the fish are biting more just to get a better feel for the numbers and species of fish in there. Perhaps there are some pike in there or a species I haven't seen yet. Thanks for the replies so far.

[ccmtcanada]

There's a little fishing pond in a local conservation area around my place that was stocked with small rainbows this past spring. It's also home a few largies, assorted sunfish and bullhead. By mid summer, the waters were so warm that the trout were all dying...it was a sad sight to see!

[OhioFisherman]

One of my daughters girlfriend`s families has a pond. Her dad puts like 5 to 10 pounds of fathead minnows in it every year, you see them for a few weeks roaming the shoreline, then none. Just too small a species of minnows, they all seem to get eaten, even the panfish can eat them.

 

Ok if you want to spend a bit of money year after year to keep a food supply in the pond, a better plan is a bigger species of minnow. Some of the ponds in my area that hold the largest bass have golden shiners in them and some of the shiners have grown to 3/4 of a pound. Way to big for all the panfish and most of the bass to feed on, a breeding supply of baitfish.

 

In some of the ponds without minnows small bluegills seem to have taken over the role of baitfish for the bass and catfish, it is legal to use them here for bait, it may not be where you are located.

 

If you can`t get a canoe-small boat in the pond with a depth finder to explore you can get an idea of the water depth-drop-offs casting a slip bobber with nothing but a sinker below the bobber. Set it deep and cast to the center of the pond and drag it to shore stopping every few feet, see if the bobber stands up quickly or drifts a few feet, stand up quickly mean you haven`t hit bottom, bobber drifting and approximate distance of drift will give you an idea of depth.

 

Good luck with it, it`s nice to have a pond nearby to provide a quick fishing fix, especially if it has some decent sized fish.

[Terry]

if there is water running to it or near it, or where spring high water could affect other waterways

you 100% need MNR permits and approval

and I know people who were charged for stocking without permits

[OhioFisherman]

LOL Terry, the laws can seem vague and or misleading at times, I think I saw a section in ours that said any fish caught by legal angling may be used for bait. The rules for gobies contradicts that and I can only imagine what would happen if I got caught with a walleye, muskie, or other course fish on a hook for bait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like that course fish thing? Pickerals!

[Rich]

Gravel pits are generally too polluted and oxygen deprived to hold anything besides bass, panfish, pike and carp. Pollution comes from acid rain and polluted groundwater leaking into the system, and since there is no drainage it all stays in there.

[Jon]

I can't stress how important it is to talk to the MNR before you contemplate stocking a pond/gravel pit. It there is no inlet or outlet, then the issues are different, but things like disease transfer are still applicable. I can think of numerous cases where the well intentioned, approved introduction of a species did not go as planned (e.g. cane toad in Australia, asian carp in the US). There are also numerous cases where a well intentioned, unapproved introduction also created a whole other set of issues (e.g. rock bass in lake trout lakes).

 

You also need to think how the fish you are thinking of introducing will impact the existing angling for you and the other anglers that fish there.

 

Jon

[Rattletrap2]

I have a completely landlocked pond and can tell you that all that is required to stock it, is to buy the fish and put them in. Inflow and outflow is a whole nuther matter.

You can buy fingerlings and even larger fish from places like Pure Springs out Shannonville way (trout, Bass, Walleye, Crappie and more), Humber Springs near Orangeville for trout, or SilverCreek in Erin for trout and maybe some Bass.

They all have web sites. I bought 200 1" LM Bass for $1.50 a piece, but you have to go get them.

There is no tax on these fish either.

 

I stocked mine in June, and they are about 3" long now.

 

I don't believe the trout will reproduce in the pond. The Bass and Panfish definitely do.