The Benefits of fish stocking to your community

by Dawn Hill / Allstate Resource Management

South Florida provides some of the best freshwater fishing opportunities in the world. Condominium sites are now designed to include recreational areas which contain ponds, lakes, wetland areas, and stormwater retention basins. Many condominium associations support anglers groups and clubs.

Many lake management companies provide fish stocking programs. A balanced, healthy fish population can help to absorb nutrients in the water, control noxious weeds, insects and other aquatic pests. They can also provide a recreational asset for residents. Two classes of fish are commonly stocked. These include sportfish such as largemouth bass, bream and channel catfish and biological control agents including mosquitofish, which consume mosquito larvae, and weed-eating triploid grass carp. Sportfish are generally stocked in the Spring, when a greater variety of fish are available. Biological work fish may be stocked year round.

Advantages of the commonly stocked fish species are described as follows:

The largemouth bass is the most popular game fish in the United States. The Florida largemouth bass hold many gamefish records. Southern bass live an average of seven years longer than their northern brothers. The benefits of bass range include their consumption of insects and tadpoles, which help to control frog and toad populations.

Bream grow successfully in small ponds, large lakes and canal systems. They are easily adaptable to almost any climate and are found throughout the United States. They can be supported with commercially available food pellets and often create resident enjoyment at lakeside feeding stations.

Channel catfish eat many types of food and scavenge lake bottoms. This helps to "clean" the aquatic ecosystem. Maximum weights attained by channel catfish exceed 25 pounds. Catfish can be caught with baits such as nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

Triploid grass carp are a sterile, biological weed-eating fish. They must be permitted for stocking by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (GFC). Carp feed on many of the undesirable, exotic weeds that have become dominant in many of Florida’s waterways. Hydrilla, an exotic plant rated as the State’s number one nuisance, is on the grass carp’s preferred diet. Stocking rates are determined by the GFC.

Mosquitofish have desirable eating habits. They are known to eat their body weight each day in mosquito larvae. Gambusia (Mosquitofish) have been introduced throughout the world to aid in the natural control of mosquitos, especially where malaria and yellow fever are a threat. Gambusia bear their young alive, breeding throughout the Summer.

Healthy fish populations are dependent on a balanced aquatic ecosystem. An important component of the aquatic community are aquatic plants. Native aquatic vegetation provides essential habitat for fish foods such as insects, invertebrates and provides shelter for juvenile fish.

South Florida lakes are an often overlooked valuable resource. Other than providing stormwater retention areas, lakes provide an aesthetic focal point for many condominiums.

Dawn Hill is a lake and wetland manager at Allstate Resource Management, Inc. in Davie, Florida.

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