Looking for Advice on Tiger Trout to Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout Stocking Ratio for Private Pond

[Bricklayer]

Hi Everyone, I have purchased a property with an aerated 1 acre dugout that is 16' deep. It was stocked with about 125 Rainbows fingerlings in April 2019, some of which are still alive I've seen eating flies a few times, havent caught any yet.

The dugout is fairly old, has weeds all around the edges and lots of shrimp in it. Seems like a nice little ecosystem. I will feed the fish too.

I want to stock it with a generous amount of trout for fishing in summer and winter, will eat them if they taste ok if not c&r.

Currently I am looking at stocking another 200 or so fingerlings this fall, either all Brook or Brook and Tiger.

I'm not much of a Trout fisherman but from what I understand the Brook are the better fish for eating, which apeals to me. I think I read also that they are easy to catch which I want..

I caught one tiger in a provincial stocked pond and it put up a really good scrap, would be nice to have them too. My concern is in 5 years I'll have big tigers that eat most or all of the fingerlings I try to stock the pond with...

Now, if the Brooks wont taste good out of a dugout anyway, maybe the Tigers would be far better due to the good scrap they put up. Also maybe I can avoid the canibalism if I buy larger fingerlings for stocking in the future...


What do you all think would bd a safe ratio of Tigers to other trout? Should I be concerned? I'd like to buy more rainbows next spring and continue to stock every year to have a good little fishing hole...

Thanks for any advice.

[mlee]

Buddy of mine did a pond last summer...probably 1/2 acre size but 50% is 25 feet deep ....the rest is about 10-12....2 aerators in the deep water.
He did 200 rainbows and 100 browns. The fish wintered fine last winter and there are still lots in there this summer. I've eaten both and the browns are definitely much better tasting than the bows.

[Bricklayer]

Interesting, I had read that browns don't taste as good.

[Jims83cj5]

I have no idea if this maters but the tigers a very aggressive fish so if you put them in there will any future fingerling stockings just be feeding them?

[WinefredCommander]

If you don’t aerate you’re wasting your time. I find most people overstock their pond’s especially if they aerate and fish live 3+ years. Rainbows feed at surface vs the other two species and will out compete them. If you want to promote brook or tiger don’t stock rainbow.

[Bricklayer]

Ok good to know, thanks. It is Aerated, and I can see shrimp by just glancing at the water so I think the existing rainbows aren't eating all thats there. Hopefully the brooks and tigers will have enough food. I plan to feed daily as well.

The tigers eating future fingerlings is a concern, think I can mitigate this by buying larger stocking fish in future years.