Fall Stocking of Trout in Your Pond

Fall is an ideal, if not perfect, time to stock trout in your pond. Whereas much stocking is done in the spring, fall stocking does offer some very significant advantages. If your pond is shallow, warms up too much for trout or has an abundance of algae and weeds which use up a lot of oxygen during the summer consider stocking in the fall. Many of the problems associated with poor ponds are alleviated in the fall. If you have had poor success with trout stocking because of summer heat you can achieve GREAT SUCCESS by stocking in the fall.

As water warms up it's ability to hold a dissolved gas, for example oxygen, decreases. Plants reverse photosynthesis at night by breathing in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. This activity removes vital oxygen from the pond, more so at the bottom where the cooler water and plants are found. This forces the trout closer to the surface where the water is warmer and holds less oxygen. Eventually in a shallow or poor pond the trout succumb to heat, lack of oxygen or a combination of the two. In fall months, as the water cools down, the water’s ability to hold oxygen increases. The colder the water gets, the more oxygen it can hold. Plants and algae whose growth is geared by temperature generally decline and their impacts to the oxygen supply subside.

I would still strongly suggest installing a Little Titan aerator. It is run by only a 1/6 Hp motor and costs about 25¢ a day to run. Keep it running during the winter because ice cover can still cause serious problems. Ice cover will prevent oxygen from entering the pond water and decomposition gases, methane and carbon dioxide, will not be able to escape. The ice is a barrier to proper gas exchanges, which results in very low oxygen levels under the ice which can cause winter kill. It will also cause your pond to become anaerobic, much like a septic tank. The Little Titan aerator prevents winter kill and keeps your pond aerobic. So anyone with a marginal to poor pond, in fact even a very poor pond, can, with the aid of an aerator, (Little Titan or Aqua Series ) keep trout in their pond from September right through to the next June/July before their fish become threatened by elevated temperatures, low oxygen levels and increased weed and algae growth. Therefore, a pond that can not normally sustain trout in the summer can deep them happy for 9 to 10 months per year. Just have the fish out by mid to late June as July/August will likely be too hot for the trout to survive. With the addition of a Little Titan aerator and a little bit of luck, you could have fish in your pond 10 months out the year. Not bad at all !!

Think of all the fun the kids will have fishing/ice fishing and all those great trout dinners you could enjoy on those cold winter blustery nights. You could even smoke trout - trust me they are delicious smoked. And smoked trout pate is out of this world.

The sooner you stock them the more they will grow. Remember, unless you already have a windmill, a Little Titan aerator is strongly recommended. Buy the combo package Little Titan regular for winter months and the Starburst for summer months and you can enjoy the aerator all year long too, especially in the summer as it ripples the water reducing weed and algae growth, killing mosquito larvae and giving your pond a fantastic appearance.

HOW FISH ARE TRANSPORTED:

Double plastic bags measuring about 3 feet tall and approx. 18 in round filled with oxygen and water costing $5.00 each are required for trout transport. How many depends on your travelling time (distance) from our farm. Eight inch fish generally require 4-5 bags, 9-12" trout 5-7 bags and 12-15" trout 6-8 bags ( 1-2 hour traveling distance). Five or so bags will fit in an average size trunk, 10 or more in a mini van or pick up truck.

HOURS:

Monday to Thursday, by mutual agreement (appointment) *
Friday (9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)*
Saturday (9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)*
Sunday ( 10.00 .am. to 4.00 p.m.)*

* we are a working farm and require hours to do our farm work etc. By agreement we can accommodate customers outside of these hours.