FISH INFORMATION
What you will find on this page:
- Information on all of the pond fish that we offer
- All about Pond Stocking Fish Days and what to bring to take your bags of fish home in
- How to safely put fish in your pond
INFORMATION ON POND FISH
1. The Chart below shows the selection of fish that we provide.
2. To read about a fish, just click on the FISH NAME or on the fish drawing. It will take you to a special page of information about that fish.
3. Underneath each drawing, we list the size that the fish usually are when we bring them to you at Fish Days (the first size range) and the size they usually are on the Large Fish Sale (the second size range). Not all fish are available on the Large Fish Sale.
4. If you need bigger fish, we hold a LARGE FISH SALE each Fall, right after Thanksgiving. It has a low minimum order and a low delivery/drop fee compared the a Direct Delivery to your pond.
5. You can request a DIRECT DELIVERY to your pond or lake if you prefer. With a Direct Delivery you can request the selection and the size fish that you want. Call the Office to discuss a Quote and the delivery schedule. There is a minimum $800.00 fish order, plus Sales Tax and a delivery fee based on mileage.
Click On The Fish Name or the Drawing of The Fish To Read About it
8″ to 10″ and 12″+
(5 to 25 to the acre depending on the soft weeds and algae coverage)
3″ to 5″ and 8″ to 10″ Long
(50 to 300 per acre – or up to 500 to the acre with Auto Feeder)
WHAT TO BRING TO A FISH DAY
About Fish Days and What To Expect...
Fish Days give you the opportunity to place a fish reservation at a Store or CO-OP on their set date and time, and then pick up without paying a Delivery Fee. You can order what you need and pay when you pick up your fish. Call us at 256-878-4111 for questions or to place a reservation. Your fish will be bagged after you get there and pay for them.
You should put your bag(s) of fish into a dry Cooler (no ice) to transport them home. This keeps the water inside of the bags at the same temperature until you get back to your pond, and it will also keep the sun off of your fish. Quick temperature shift and damaging sun are the two greatest risks to baby fish when you are transporting them in bags.
Each bag of fish is about 24 quarts – the size of a small Kitchen trash can. One 48 quart cooler will hold two bags of fish. If you have large 100 quart or larger Coolers, divide by 24 to find out how many bags they can hold. One bag usually has 1 or 2 gallons of water, if you are wondering about weight.
We bag the fish species separately, and we put a certain number of fingerlings in each bag (based on their size) along with treated water and pure oxygen. You can see a Chart of the different numbers of fingerlings that we put in a bag below. You can use these numbers to calculate how many bags of fish that you will have, but the Office will also tell you how many Coolers to bring when you place your reservation.
Taking your bags of fish home in Coolers should give you 3-4 hours to get them into your pond. If you need more time please tell the Driver and he can add more pure Oxygen gas to the bag(s).
How Many Bags and How To Put Fish In Your Pond
Chart of How Many Fish Per Bag...
Bass and Tilapia (1″- 2″): up to 300 per bag
Fathead Minnows / Mosquito Fish (3/4″ to 2-1/2″): up to 1000 per bag
Bluegill / Shellcracker Bream (1″- 2″): up to 300 per bag
Channel Catfish (3″- 5″): up to 100 per bag
Grass Carp (8″- 10″): up to 10 per bag
Oversize Fingerlings (3″- 5″): up to 100 per bag
Larger Fish (7″ to 10″): up to 10 per bag
How To Put Fish In Your Pond...
When you get to your pond or lake, set your bags of fish in the water at about 6″ to 12″ deep near the shallow end – just dragging the bottom so they don’t float out.
Time how long they sit there – it should only be for 10 to 15 minutes. 10 to 15 minutes should bring the water temperature in the bags close to the same temperature as the pond. You need to time it so that you don’t forget them or leave them too long.
Do not leave the bags in the water for more than 20 minutes or the sun may overheat and kill your fish. At some point they will need more oxygen and can die from lack of it, so do watch the time.
After 10 to 15 minutes cut the band on a bag and then pick up the bag and pour the fingerlings directly into your pond – pour them and the bag water into 8″ to 10″ deep of water (or deeper) in the shallow end (NOT the deep end of the pond). If possible, release them where there is grass or shrub cover and shade.
DO NOT open the bags until you are ready to pour the fish into the pond. You remove their oxygen as soon as you open the bag. Plan to pour the fish directly into the pond as soon as you remove the band on the bag – cut the band or pull it off, and then pick up the bag and pour the fingerlings directly into the pond water in the shallow end only. Do this to one bag at a time. Do not open all of the bags first.
DO NOT tear open the bag or lay the open bag flat in the water thinking that the fish will swim out – they may swim in the opposite direction toward the bottom of the bag and be trapped and die.
WARNING:
If you pour your fish into the deep end of your pond or off of your Dam or Dock, predator fish (Bass, Catfish, Crappie) may come up from below and eat them. Be sure to release them into the shallow end of the pond or lake.
When you pour your fingerlings out, they should then happily disappear into your pond. If the temperature is still a shock to them, some may be stunned for a minute or two before swimming off.
If you follow these instructions we guarantee that your fish will be alive and healthy as they go into your pond, and you should have no white bellies floating the next morning – or we will replace them.
If you see dead fish in the morning, you must call us that day and TEXT us pictures of any dead fish to 256-558-4491. Then call us at 256-878-4111 and tell us you have texted pictures of dead fish that need to be replaced. We will help you sort out how to get replacement fish.
