The Golden Shiner is the largest of the forage species, commonly growing over 5” in length. Spawning occurs from June to August over beds of submerged vegetation.
The fish is known as a “mosquito larvae eater.” Its up-turned mouth and surface/midwater feeding behavior ideally suit it for mosquito control.
It is the most expensive of the forage species, but in weedy ponds it is the best suited to thrive.
Golden Shiner Advice:
It is a great forage species for trophy Largemouth Bass ponds because of its size. Think of it this way: a bass could chase down and eat 5 Fathead Minnows or 1 Golden Shiner – this allows the saved energy to go towards growth. Also, larger bass will not waste their time with tiny little minnows, but they will feast on Golden Shiners.
Stock 5 to 10 pounds per Surface Acre in new ponds that do not have predators yet. It may be necessary to stock up to 100 pounds per Surface Acre in ponds with a Largemouth Bass Population. And it is possible that you will not be able to establish a self sustaining population in ponds dominated by Largemouth Bass. For these ponds we commonly set up forage stocking programs, as described under Fathead Minnow.
FOR A PRICE LIST, plus ordering and availability info, WI & IL Customers can email us at info@keystonehatcheries.com. Sorry, but we do not sell fish outside of WI or IL at this time.
CUSTOM FISH STOCKING RECOMMENDATIONS: email us with some info and we will recommend a stocking for you.