Grass Carp
Biological Control
Available in sizes from 8 to 12 inches
Call for availability
Description
The grass carp is a member of the minnow family. It resembles the common carp because of its large size and scales. Grass carp differ from the common carp with the lack of a sucker-like mouth, and the absence of barbells on the mouth. Furthermore, grass carp are usually silvery-white, rather than the brownish-yellow of the common carp. Lochow Ranch will help you obtain the proper permits for grass carp.
Facts:
Grass carp can be an effective biological control agent for some varieties of submerged aquatic soft-stemmed vascular plants and branched algae. In some instances, aquatic plant control has been obtained for periods of 5 to 10 years. Under the proper conditions, grass carp may provide aquatic plant control in ponds, which is longer lasting, more economical, and is less labor intensive than chemical or mechanical control methods. To add grass carp to any Texas lake, the landowner must obtain a permit from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Spawning Characteristics:
Only sterile/infertile Grass Carp are legal in Texas.
Tilapia
Forage Fish
Available in sizes up to 12 inches.
Availability: spring to fall.
Description
Tilapia resemble a bluegill in shape but come in a wide variety of color. They have much larger scales and their dorsal fin covers almost the full length of their body.
Facts:
Tilapia are considered a good forage fish for bass because of their rapid reproduction rate. In Texas, it is usually necessary to restock Tilapia if winter water temperatures drop below 54 °F. Tilapia are an excellent tool in controlling filamentous algae. The cost to restock these fish in the spring can be less than the cost of chemical treatments that produce similar results.
Spawning Characteristics:
Tilapia require 68 -70°F water to spawn and will spawn repeatedly at 4-5 week intervals in warm water. Their eggs are laid and fertilized in the nest and once hatched the fry are held in the male’s mouth until they are a few days old. The freshly hatched tilapia will themselves spawn within just a few months.
Goldfish
Forage Fish
Call for available sizes
Availability: all year.
Description
Goldfish can have a heavy thick body and can be found in a wide variety of fin shapes and sizes. Goldfish come in an assortment of colors including yellow, orange, white, red, black and brown or even a combination of these colors.
Facts:
Goldfish are a good forage to add to any trophy fishery. Their high visibility and slow swimming speed make them an easy target for the big bass in your lake.
Spawning Characteristics:
Goldfish will spawn once the water reaches 60°F and will spawn several times over the summer. Eggs are spread over vegetation and left to hatch on their own. Spawning ends once the water temperature reaches 80 °F degrees.
Crawfish
Forage
Call for available sizes
Call for availability
Description
Crayfish are characterized by a joined head and thorax, or midsection, and a segmented body. Colors range from a sandy yellow, green, white to pink or dark brown in color.
Facts:
Crawfish are an especially affordable forage alternative during harvest season which is April to July but can be stocked anytime of year.
Spawning Characteristics:
Most crayfish live short lives, usually less than two years. Therefore, rapid, high-volume reproduction is important for the continuation of the species. Many crayfish mate in October or November with egg laying usually occurring the following spring. The eggs hatch in 2 to 20 weeks, depending on the water temperature.
Bullfrog Tadpoles
Forage
Call for availability.
Description
See Bullfrogs.
Spawning Characteristics:
See Bullfrogs.
Fathead Minnow
Forage Fish
Available in sizes up to 2 inches
Availability: all year
Description
Fathead minnows have short bodies with a triangular shaped head. The upper jaw overhangs the snout and breeding males have a number of bumps their head. Coloration ranges from olive to olive-yellow on back tinged with copper or purple in larger fish.
Golden Shiner
Forage Fish
Call for available sizes.
Availability: all year.
Description
The Golden Shiner has a deep minnow body with a small upturned mouth. Their back is green and their sides are a silver gold color.
Facts:
Golden shiner a good forage species available in a wide range of sizes. They can live up to nine years and fare very well in fertilized ponds.
Spawning Characteristics:
Golden shiners begin spawning when the water temperatures reach 70 °F and continue until the water temperature reaches 80 °F. As with shad, the golden shiner’s eggs are deposited over submerged vegetation and are left to hatch on their own.
Threadfin Shad
Forage Fish
Available in sizes from 1 to 4 inches
Availability: fall to spring/ order early
Description
Threadfin shad have a lance shaped body with a silver-blue back and nearly white sides and belly. All fins except for the dorsal have a yellowish tint. The threadfin will reach 4-5 inches long and can live for several years.
Facts:
Threadfin shad are the very best forage fish available to pond owners today. Their reproductive potential is unmatched by any other forage species, however; in colder areas brood fish may need to be stocked each year because shad are sensitive to water below 45 °F.
Spawning Characteristics:
Threadfin shad begin spawning when water temperatures reach 70 °F and continue until the water temperature reaches 77 degrees. Spawning occurs on vegetated shorelines with large schools of females attaching their eggs to the submerged grasses.
Rainbow Trout
Forage Fish
Call for available fish sizes
Call for availability
Description
Rainbow trout have very small, fine scales on their torpedo-shaped body. They have silvery sides with a horizontal pinkish band that varies in intensity in different populations. Their back is bluish to greenish with black spots on their back and sides.
Facts:
Because rainbow trout are unable to survive through the summer in most areas, the species is primarily used in winter ‘put-and-take fisheries’ or as a supplemental forage fish for bass during the winter months.
Spawning Characteristics:
The rainbow trout will not spawn in Texas ponds.
Redear Sunfish
Game Fish / Forage Fish
Available in sizes from 1 to 8 inches
Availability: all year.
Description
Redear sunfish are a deep-bodied sunfish that resemble the bluegill in shape but have a smaller mouth and a red or orange edge on the edge of the operculum or “earflap”. Color ranges from green to white on the belly with their sides usually being spotted yellow or green.
Facts:
Redear love to eat snails which are part of life cycle of the parasitic grub found in sportfish. Redear are often stocked in ponds and lakes to help control the grub population.
Spawning Characteristics:
Redear begin spawning when the water temperature reaches 65 °F and are usually found in deeper water levels than other sunfish. There are usually one or two peaks of activity during spawning season; otherwise their spawning is similar to the bluegill.