Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat New Pond: do I need gravel for BG and LMB spawn

I am about to start construction of a two acre pond. Do I need gravel and rocks for BG and LMB spawning. If yes, what size gravel and type? How many inches of gravel? Thanks, my first post.

First, welcome to PBF.

First and a half: Congratulations on building your new pond. It will be a lot of fun and frustration. The good kind, if there is such a thing.

Second, it would benefit you to do a lot of reading in the structure archives. It will answer a lot of questions about what to put in your new pond including the question you just ask.

structure archives

Do you need to add gravel? LMB and BG will spawn profusely without it on a mud bottom. Will the fish utilize it and be beneficial for them? Probably. Depends on how much work and expense you want to go to to set up the best possible situation for your fish.

My opinion answers. I'm not an expert. The experts will be along shortly with correct answers.

Welcome

Snrub, you don't give yourself enough credit. I have learned a lot from you since I came here. My LMB spawned way good in clay /sand bottom. To good since I wasn't ready for them . Same with the CNBG. They had craters everywhere along the bank. I'm with snrub the pros should be along shortly


Pat W

The link on the first page of the structure archives "Gravel for BG spawning" did not work and gave an error. I could not remember how to fix the link. Maybe one of the moderators can fix it or post it here because that is the one he wants now.

Thanks for the archive link.......I am trying to look things up but have struggled finding the right place. Thanks for your help.

ISH,
Welcome to Pond Boss...tons of good info here.

Welcome to the forum!

BG nor LMB require spawning substrate like gravel or rocks per posts above. If gravel is present, both species may prefer constructing spawning beds those areas, however. Unless gravel is placed in kiddie wading pools, snow saucers, or on top of landscaping fabric, it will eventually incorporate with clay bottom and is covered silt and is lost/buried and ineffective.

Larger rocks offer ambush points for LMB, places to focus your fishing, while also providing cover for forage - including crayfish - who like burrowing under rocks.

Adding rock and gravel isn't necessary, but is an educational exercise. Hand placing 100T of boulders is kinda a rite of passage - at least it was for me - but I also have SMB so their presence was more important as a preferred SMB habitat and also for spawning.

You can't go wrong here, either way. If you have gravel and rock free and enjoy the work - go for it. I'd place my gravel beds in 1-5' depths for LMB and BG beds - don't forget some kind of liner.

I am getting error messages on the link. I will try again later to see if it starts working.

Tee, you mention a liner? I am assuming you mean line the area and put the gravel on top. Is that correct?

I thought I was the only guy doing this by hand. I don't have any equipment so I drop/toss the boulders by hand. I only do a few at a time so I can let the water clear after each tossing event so I can see where I want to put the next ones. I think its fun but it doesn't take much to entertain me!

Oh no you not the only one Bill.

I think the liner is so if you do use gravel it won't sink into the bottom as fast


Pat

Yea. I think your right, Pat.

I do boulder piles in 1 to 4 feet of water. I don't do the gravel thing at all for spawning beds. The bottom of my pond below about 4 or 5 feet is mostly gravel, sand, rocks and boulders so I figure I am good to go.

Welcome spotted horse!! I am new to this forum also and just completed my 2 acre pond November 1st 2014. I did fish professionally for lmb. for 15 years. I am learning a lot here on how to raise fish in captivity.I will say in my experience lmb WILL SPAWN where they can. Some of the stranger places I have seen them spawn are on top of flooded concrete picnic tables,on top of metal trash can lids,and one of the most interesting was in the forks of large pecan trees that had been flooded in a new reservoir. Imagine that when you tell your buddies I caught them out of the top of pecan trees!!! Good luck with your pond and ask lots of questions

Here is a corrected link. Some of the old database has corrupted links.

Bluegill spawning beds

When the old links do not work they have to be changed to forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads............

Once a new post is posted in the thread, it seems to correct the problem.

Gravel, sand, or sand gravel mix is not necessary for BG, bass or sunfish spawning. The nest building fish will find an area of hard bottom for the nest site even if it if hard pan packed clay swept clean of loose silt. The gravel or sand base increases the hatch success of the eggs.

I read somewhere (maybe it was in the old thread I linked to) that someone specifically put out plastic holders with gravel so he could see when the fish were spawning.

I like that idea. In my pond I've rarely been able to see the spawning beds. Only one or two in very shallow water. I usually have an algae bloom so I can't see but a couple feet into the water.

In the shallow area I designed specifically for spawning with gravel, FA has taken over so I still can't see any spawning activity.

What I have the idea of now, is wade back out (this spring) into this shallow area I provided for spawning, and place some plastic containers with gravel. Not so much that I need any additional spawning structure (they have been spawning prodigiously), but simply so I might have the chance to better know when spawning is occurring and so I could observe better.