Many variety of fish and pond stocking tips offered by Ashland SWCD; sale ends Oct. 7

Ashland Soil and Water’s fall fish sale is in full swing, and orders will be taken through Oct. 7.

The sale has many varieties of fish along with fathead minnows, Nature’s Pond and a pond management book written by Steve Fender himself.

Nature’s Pond is a blend of beneficial bacteria, enzymes, plant extracts and food-grade dyes that helps to clean the bottom of ponds for clean, clear water. Nature’s Pond isn’t an over night treatment. It is one that takes a few years to work due to eliminating nutrient rich muck that is on the bottom of the pond.

Stocking and restocking a pond each year is essential, especially if the plan is to get a harvest for years to come. Bass and bluegill are two types that will most likely be able to reproduce on their own, even though they reproduce on their own, if harvesting quite a few fish each year is taking place, stocking should as well.

When stocking a newly developed pond, it is recommended to stock 100 bass and 200 bluegill per surface acre to keep a healthy balance. Perch and crappie are a variety that spawn once only in the spring each year. The perch will not make a bed for spawning but rather lay eggs in brushy or weedy areas. Perch and crappie will not reproduce as fast as bass and bluegill since spawning only occurs once each year and should be stocked at a rate of 100 fish per surface acre.

Hybrid bluegill is definitely a favorite, but they do not reproduce much at all. They should be stocked at the same rate that they are being harvested each year. These are a fast-growing bluegill variety; they are fun to catch and pretty in color.

Pond week control alternatives

Weed control is always a concern with ponds. Chemicals are expensive and can be dangerous if they are not used properly. If they are used properly, they can be effective. White amur’s can be an alternative to using expensive chemicals to help control weed growth. For each surface acre it is recommended to have 8-10 amurs. These fish do not reproduce, they grow amazingly fast, and they eat a lot.

There is a myth that as they grow, they stop eating, and a myth it certainly is. Amurs will grow to be 40-100 pounds (dependent on their environment). If they are that big, they need to continue to eat until they die. Amurs will double their size within the first year. They will be fully effective at weed control within three years. Restocking will not be necessary again for 10-12 years, according to Fender.

The SWCD fall fish sale has a variety of available. Bluegill, hybrid bluegill, largemouth bass, redear shellcracker, channel catfish, amur and multicolored koi. As always, fathead minnows are available as feeder fish.

When fish are picked up from an order, it is best to put an unscented trash bag in a 5-gallon bucket filled about halfway with water from the pond they will go into. Do not put the lid on the bucket because the bag will get holes from the lid. The purpose of the bag is to keep oxygen as long as possible to give the fish the best environment on the ride home.

The order form can be found at ashlandswcd.com where you can order online, mail a check and order form, or stop and see us at the office to place an order. We are located at 110 Cottage St., Ashland, and can be reached at 419-281-7645.

If there are direct questions on stocking or the Nature’s Pond, you can direct them to our office or call Fender’s Fish Hatchery at 740-502-5454.

Again, our fall order deadline is Oct. 7 and the pick-up location will be at the Ashland County Fairgrounds, 2042 Claremont Ave., Ashland, 11 a.m.-noon on Oct. 15.

Katie Eikleberry is conservation specialist at the Ashland County Soil and Water Conservation District.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland SWCD offers pond management tips, holding fall fish sale