Shiners

[Hilltop]

I am looking for a source for shiners or golden shiners. Not looking for bait but forage for a pond with a bunch of crappies. I live near Harrison. Hilltop

[dspeakes]

There are a couple of places in Paragould that sell them by the pound, but that is a little far from you.

[TheBattman]

I know some folks a bit east of Little Rock (Carlisle area) that raise goldfish. Make great forage and are fairly inexpensive....

[Hilltop]

Thank you "thebattman". I need a forage fish for crappies and bass that will reproduce a lot. I have had little to no success with fathead minnows. I have stocked 80 to 100 pounds a year for 4 years and can't detect a reproducing population. Any info you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Hilltop

[CP]

Hilltop, I just started on my pond project and interested in your comment on fathead minnows.
The pond is about six acres with a creek running through it. Deep end 10-12 feet. Pond is 40 plus years old and I have put 20 bass from 8 to 12 pounds in the last three years. Started fertilizing last week. Really need a bloom.

I only put 20 pounds of fatheads(8000) in because I was informed that 1-2 pounds per acre was enough. How large is your pond. Wow, a hundred pounds at six dollars....six hundred...ouch. Sure hope I get a little hatch off.

I also was told that "shiners" should not be added to my forage...Too late as I already have. The bass/crappie have trouble catching the shiners even in cold water...too fast. May add coppernose b'gills later.

[Hilltop]

CP... you don't have a pond, 6 acres is a lake to me! I built this pond 4 years ago January in a wooded holler. It's about 2 acres and 21 feet maximum depth. No creek but do have a good wet weather spring that in normal years will keep the pond at spillway 10 months of the year. Left most of the trees standing and built big rock piles and other structures in the pond for fish habitat. I stocked 300 channel cat, 500 hybred bream, 500 red ear bream, and 10 pounds of fatheads. The next year I stocked 50 4 to 6 inch fingerling bass and 25 3 to 4 inch black crappie. In one year I had 10" crappie and bass crowding 12 inches and they were fat. I don't know why but the crappie had a great spawn and they over produced. Up to this point the pond was catch and release only. I never could see any evidence of fat head reproduction so in 2001 I put in 80 pounds, 2002 and 2003 100 pounds. Summer 2002 we started keeping every crappie to try and thin them out. They where usually running around 6 or 7 inches and where not fat and the bass started to get slim bodies and big heads.

I feed floating fish feed every day when the water temp is above 56 degrees.My water temp was 49 degrees saturday. The catfish and bream are really healthy. Bream now 1 pound plus and a rare 2 pounder plus, cats 6 to 8 pounds are common and a few over 10 pounds. I fertilize with a time time release pond fertilizer when the water reaches 60 degrees. I have sunk a small fortune in fatheads and I don't think they are reproducing in any numbers so I am searching for alternatives.

I put in 100 pounds of live crawdads last may and am hoping they will reproduce and provide forage. It was suggested to me that shiners may not be a good choice because they can over produce and take over a pond. The same people told me that fatheads are the best choice.

All things considered this pond is the best investment I have made on my farm. I have managed the farm for deer and turkeys for over 15 years. Fishing is good 8 months of the year, my sons and grand-daughters love to fish so we all really enjoy it.

You and I apparently live at opposite ends of the state. Your weather is a lot different than mine so pond mangement may differ. I wish you the best in your pond adventure and would like to hear of your successes and god forbid failures should they occur.

I want to do something that will feed the crappies and bass but don't want to make a mistake that would compound my problems. I am open to suggestions. Hilltop