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� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � second edition • Nebraska Pond Management • 33 Golden Shiner Named for their gold color, golden shiners have a small upturned mouth and an obvious downward curving lateral line — a series of sensory tubes and pores extending back from the head along both sides of the body. Golden shiners should not be stocked to accelerate initial bass growth rates because they will compete directly with bluegills and small bass for food. Green Sunfish Green sunfish are often confused with bluegills and then mistakenly stocked into ponds. They have a stocky, tubular body shape, and their medium-sized mouths are considerably larger than a bluegill's. They are greenish in color and have a black gill cover flap with a whitish or yellowish margin. Green sunfish flourish in ponds that have not yet been stocked with desirable fish. If they get large enough, or have already spawned, they can be a serious threat to the survival of bass, bluegill, and channel catfish when they are initially stocked. They normally do not pose a serious problem if they enter a pond containing a well-established bass population. Common Carp Carp are members of the minnow family and can grow to be quite large. Like bullheads, they are bottom feeders and tend to stir up sediment and cause a pond to become muddy. They tend to overpopulate and grow slowly. A well-established bass population can control carp in ponds if good water clarity can be maintained. Stocking Recommendations Warmwater Ponds The best approach for establishing large- mouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish populations in a new pond is to use YOY (young-of-the-year) fingerlings and stock 1- to 2-inch bluegills the first year and 2- to 3-inch bass the second year. Channel catfish fingerlings, ranging from 2 to 4 inches, can be stocked the same year as the bass. Bluegills should be stocked in late summer or early fall. This will allow them time to grow and spawn the following summer, with offspring providing prey for bass stocked the second year. Keep in mind a pond that is still filling should be at least 8 feet deep to ensure overwinter survival of stocked fish. To determine the proper number of fish to stock, the surface area of the pond must first be determined. The recommended initial stocking ratio for fingerling bluegill and bass is 5 to 1, not to exceed 500 bluegills and 100 bass per surface acre of water. The initial stocking density for f i n g e r l i n g channel catfish is 100 per acre. This combination will begin to provide angling opportunities in about two years. If too few bluegills are stocked initially, an unusually high number of their first spawn will survive due to little competition for available COMMON CARP GOLDEN SHINER GREEN SUNFISH